Cor
by Li the Twilight Knight
Summary: Cor was the Latin word for heart. When Kira strikes at the thing most precious to L, what will the consequences be, for both sides? Alt. timeline, post-Episode 25
1. Slip

Chapter 1: Slip

It began with Matsuda's birthday. L was decidedly not pleased with what was happening right under his nose, but was forced to concede to the task force's wish to celebrate. He was mentally calculating the chance of Kira doing something monumental while they were all distracted, and found it very low. Even so, the only part of the celebration that he truly enjoyed was the cake. He certainly didn't approve of the alcohol that was brought as well. The last thing he needed was his companions (oh how he hated that word!) drunk on sake. Not that it would matter much tonight, but L knew from his reading that depending on how much they drank, they would wake up with terrible headaches in the morning. This in turn would lead to them being completely unwilling to work. L sipped his strawberry smoothie in silence, mentally smiling at the fact that the only one smart enough not to drink was Light. The boy had only had about a half a glass, to be polite, and had not touched a drink since then. L set his smoothie down, leaning over to rummage for a bag of cookies in the box beside his chair.

What L had not counted on was the _reason_ that Light Yagami was not drinking. As soon as the sugar-addict detective leaned over, Light reached over, shifting the spoon L had been using to stir the smoothie and mixing what roughly amounted to two full glasses of sake into it. He knew that with the intense overdose of sugar that L had sweetened the smoothie with, he wouldn't be able to taste the alcohol at all. And he was correct. L sat up, cookies in hand, and began drinking the smoothie again, completely oblivious to Light's trick.

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After the rest of the task force had gone home, or at least to bed, Light was watching a rather tipsy L attempting to sit in his normal position, balancing on the balls of his feet. It proved impossible with his inebriated balance, and he sank down to sit semi-normally, knees pulled to his chest. Light chuckled quietly to himself, listening to the chain between them clink musically. As he watched L pout, he was reminded, yet again, that L acted just like a child.

"Ryuzaki?" he asked on sudden inspiration. L turned to look at him, his obsidian gaze no less unnerving for being slightly unfocused. Light continued absently, "I know you think it's a threat to your identity and all, but would just talking about your parents really be that dangerous? We know nothing about you." He simply wanted proof that L was a person, because he seemed so... untouchable... sometimes. He seemed like something set apart from everyone else. Light wanted proof that the eccentric boy was human too.

"Kira…" L struggled to speak clearly. He had never consumed alcohol before, thus his tolerance was very low. "Kira… He could find… my family… and…"

Light blinked. Interesting. "Ryu, I'm not Kira. Anyway, if Kira doesn't know your parent's names, he can't kill them."

L looked up, then down at his knees, something in his eyes that Light couldn't place. "I… cannot speak about my parents… I don't… I don't have any…" He saw confusion on Light's face, and fought to put together a better explanation. "I'm an orphan… I grew up in an orphanage in England… Watari ran it… He… took care of me…"

Light wanted to jump for joy. He should have tried getting L drunk a long time ago if it opened him up this much. He felt like he was getting closer to knowing who L really was underneath all his detective work. He stared at the midnight-haired boy, asking carefully, "So you have no real family?"

"Watari is my family… the children are my family… Wammy's House is my home..." L muttered. His eyes were half-closed, and he looked close to passing out. "If anything were to happen to them… my adopted brothers… my friends… I'd… I'd…" His eyes slid closed, his system losing the battle with the alcohol. Light smiled, getting up and lifting the sleeping detective from his chair. L would have a horrendous headache in the morning, and would probably be grumpy and bitchy all day, but in Light's eyes it was worth it. He walked back to the room they shared, laying L in bed before taking off his shoes and climbing in as well. Smiling to himself, he pondered what he had heard. He'd have to look up this 'Wammy's House', now that his curiosity was sparked. Of course, the hard part would be doing it without L noticing. L would be furious if he knew what he had inadvertently revealed tonight, and a furious L was a scary L.

He didn't yell, or glare, or give any outward signs that he was angry. But he radiated a coldness that could freeze anyone who came too close. And he would just stare at you, like he knew everything you had ever done wrong in your entire life. Stare with those empty, black, mirror-mirror eyes of his, so clear you could see your own reflection if you stood too close, as well as the glint of black magic that made him _L _instead of _Ryuzaki_. For Light was convinced that L and Ryuzaki were two separate things, and if there was a real L with a real name out there, he was separate too. Not that he had a split personality, just that there were different sides to the boy currently chewing on the corner of his pillow. Light rolled onto his side to look at his roommate, smiling. Maybe that was why L never slept: he didn't want to appear vulnerable. When he was sleeping, he looked about ten years old. Light felt a sudden irrational desire to protect him. L had so little, and Light didn't want to see any of it taken from him, not his 'home', nor the family he seemed to love so much. L was the only person he could really call a friend, and he would never let anyone else discover what L had told him tonight. It was a precious piece of information, and no one else could have it.

Especially not Kira.

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drunk!L. What could be better?

Finally, a real attempt at a serious story. I have plans for this. I'm going to throw the entire timeline out of whack. Beginning now, since I don't know when the hell Matsuda's birthday is. And now, a note about L.

I believe that he shifts between names, yes, but that how he feels somewhat alters who he is at any given moment. (gonna use anime references because they're easier to find) In the beginning of everything, he's by himself, his hair hangs over his eyes, and he's lazy and confident and totally in control. He only revisits this once, in Episode 11 during the Sakura TV incident, when Aizawa grabs him and he needs to regain control over the situation. In those moments, he is unquestionably the great detective L. Most of the rest of the time, he's the sugar-munching kawaii panda-bear that we all know and love. _That_ is Ryuzaki. And, though I loathe to speak of it, in Episode 25 (yes, _that_ one), when he is standing in the rain, speaking to Light, he is simply L Lawliet, coming to terms with the fact that the person he considered his friend was going to kill him. Even if we don't know his real name, we know that in that moment L and Ryuzaki are gone, and only his true self remains. Maybe the rain washed everyone else away.

If you put up with that long philosophical ramble, cookies for you! Oops... Uhh... spoiler warning?  
Li


	2. Digging Deeper

Chapter 2: Digging Deeper

The next day was hell. Most all of the task force was horribly hung-over, and L himself had a splitting headache that he refused to take aspirin to soothe. This led, inevitably, to L being bitchy and snapping at everyone all day, as Light had predicted. However, this gave Light plenty of time to research his new information without a nosy insomniac hanging over his shoulder every other second.

He had first tried Google, searching "Wammy's House". After clicking through several pages of stuff that was decidedly _not_ what he was looking for, he found something that looked relatively promising. An article in the archives of a newspaper's website. It was all about a man called Quillsh Wammy. Light clicked down the page, reading more. Supposedly, Mr. Wammy was a brilliant inventor, and used the profits from his inventions to found orphanages all over the world: Aquitaine, France; Virginia Beach, Virginia in the United States; Moscow, Russia; and Winchester, England. Many of his orphanages doubled as schools for gifted children, or children with exceptional abilities.

England. Light smiled triumphantly. Found you, L. He scrolled the rest of the page, pausing to look at a picture at the bottom that was of Quillsh Wammy. His eyes widened. Watari. That man looked just like Watari. Light surreptitiously glanced around the room; staring at Watari, who was trying to talk L into taking Advil. Yes, that was it. They were definitely the same person. Watari was Quillsh Wammy. It was a good thing that Kira did not know what Watari actually looked like, if this was how easy it was to get hold of his real name. He closed the window quickly, pulling up the chart he was supposed to be making of the times of death since the third Kira took over. Yes, the third. L insisted that this Kira was different than the other two, and Light was inclined to believe him.

L careened over in his rolling chair, in the process of swallowing two Advil pills.

"Yagami-kun, is the chart finished?"

"Yes, Ryuzaki." Light sighed. "It's finished and correct."

L peered over his shoulder, double-checking, before rubbing at his forehead with a sigh. "Watari says that sleep will help with this annoying headache I have, so despite my wishes, I will be going to take a nap. Sadly, you must accompany me." Light lit up at the idea of getting to catch up on sleep. But L's next words effectively killed any cheerful thoughts with the swiftness and precision of a sniper. "And since I believe that Yagami-kun is at least partly, if not mostly, responsible for my current state, you will be bringing the laptop with you and doing a distribution chart of Kira's victims."

"We did that already, Ryuzaki. You have two of them saved on your computer!" Light protested.

L frowned. "Those are for the second and third Kiras. We require one for the first Kira, to compare differences in the range and type of victim for all three."

Light knew that it was useless to argue with L. So he collected the laptop and trailed after the older man back to their room. L climbed in bed, mumbling something about a waste of time before actually going to sleep. Light watched him for a moment, before pulling up a blank spreadsheet and starting on L's damned chart, because there would be another Kira accusation and a very unhappy L waiting for him if he wasn't done with it. He did take comfort in the fact that if he finished it quickly, he might get to nap as well, depending on how long L slept for. Light glanced at the clock. 1:30 in the afternoon, and if he was lucky L might sleep for at least two hours. Light hurriedly began sorting data, wanting to get the chart done.

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He struggled back into consciousness at the feeling on something poking him.

"Yagami-kun… Yagaaaaami-kun… Wake up…"

Light opened his eyes, blinking a few times before focusing on the oddball detective leaning over him. "Aaah!" The last thing he remembered was setting the laptop and finished chart aside. He must have fallen asleep.

"Light-kun, it is five o'clock, and we need to work."

Light flailed sleepily, forcing L away so that he could sit up. "Five?"

"Yes. While I regret sleeping so long, my headache is gone, and Light-kun has finished the chart and slept as well. We will be able to make up for the lost time tonight." L said confidently, getting up and jingling the chain. "Come on, Light-kun."

Light climbed out of bed, before pausing. "You called me Light."

"Yes, I feel that I am comfortable enough around Light-kun to call him by his given name." L replied. He tugged at the chain. "Come on!"

Light sighed. _Impatient childish bastard._ L would want to stay up until at least three 'making up for lost time'. Light would not sleep well tonight, not at all. He sighed. At least he could revel in the joy of his discoveries. There was no way he would ever be able to look up L's name, but even simply knowing Watari's gave him a measure of satisfaction. Oh, the joy of knowing something that you weren't supposed to, especially when the other person didn't know that you knew. Light smiled, uncharacteristically cheerful. For the moment, all was well.

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I looked up Wammy's House on Google as a reference, and **not one single thing** came up that was not related to Death Note. (sob) Anyway, that's based on the newspaper article from episode 26/chapter-number-I'm-too-lazy-to-check, because I figured that while nobody actually knew him as Watari, they would know him as himself, Quillsh Wammy.

On a totally random side note, has anyone seen the new L Change the World trailer? Freakin' SWEET!!! L scares small children, apparently. But why do those two people look like Raye and Naomi, who ought to be dead? And why is someone pointing a gun at L? And why does it look like he's chasing a plane down a runway in a cake truck? (WTF?) If you don't know what I'm talking about, go to the Japanese movie site, click on the second button from the left, and watch it! I command you to view its awesomeness!

God bless Advil, for my and L's every headache need.  
Li


	3. New Beginning

Chapter Three: New Beginning

Everything had worked exactly like they planned. Higuchi had fallen right into their trap, leaving capturing him the only thing left to do. Light had been initially startled that L, who never seemed to leave the building, could fly a helicopter, but L assured him that it was something he had learned out of necessity. Light wondered what on earth might have provoked that necessity, but refrained from asking. It had no bearing to their current situation. Either way, L was an excellent pilot, and they were soon landed on the highway, blocking Higuchi's last escape route.

He resisted at first, but broke down into a gibbering wreck after barely being threatened. He was rambling nonsense about a notebook that killed people, and Light seemed rather skeptical of the whole thing. But when his father retrieved the notebook in question, and both he and Mogi began to stammer incoherently about monsters, something clicked into place. The feeling that he had known something like this would happen. Light watched L delicately take the notebook from Mogi, and stare into the empty air beside Higuchi's car, his face paling even more than usual.

"Shinigami…" he whispered in horrified shock. "They… actually exist…"

"Ryuzaki, let me see!" Light cried, reaching out. L had fallen into a trancelike state of epiphany, and the notebook came out of his loosened grasp easily. As Light's fingers made contact with the crisp paper, he let out a startled scream, as everything came rushing back at once.

_Kira.  
__Second Kira.  
__Ryuk.  
__Rem.  
__Ryuzaki… L…_

Light gasped, turning to look at L, who was watching him with concern.

"Light-kun, are you okay?" he asked hesitantly. Light looked away.

"We need to check if the names here match the victims." He began to type as L quietly agreed, unable to see the smirk spreading across Light's face.

_It's over, L. I've won…_

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The investigation headquarters was quiet for days. L had been forced to admit that Light and Misa were innocent, and thus the handcuffs were no more. Light had taken to watching L, watching his expression shift and change. He had seen something fall away in that helicopter, some tiny part of who L was… or pretended to be. Maybe it was Ryuzaki. Light was almost certain of it. Ryuzaki was gone altogether. All that was left was the lingering remnants of L, and whoever the _real_ him was who had been hiding underneath. His real self was showing now, through the cracks caused by desperation. Desperate to find something to delay the inevitable.

There was the lingering question of what he would do now. Of course, now he held a weapon over L that he did not have before. Watari's name. Of course, Light could not kill him directly, because it would place suspicion back on himself. But blackmail, manipulation… L might be willing to risk himself, but Light would bet his utopia that L wouldn't risk someone he cared about. And if that didn't work, an even more precious secret stood as backup.

_L doesn't have to die at all._ Light thought. _He simply has to surrender. Yield to my will, and he will be spared._ But that would never happen. L had to die, because he would never surrender. Light glanced at the detective, who was silently eating chocolates and staring at the computer screen. Anyone else would think he was diligently reading, but Light could see that his eyes weren't moving. L was staring into space. The fake rules had blocked his only way out. He was trapped._ Pinned down like the delicate, annoying little insect you are. Don't you see, L? The gods of the world make the rules. You will be defeated by my fake rules, and die for the sin of defying me._

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Late that night, L had gone to the kitchen to fetch cake, leaving Light alone with Rem. He stared at the Shinigami coolly.

"What will you do, Rem?" he asked. "Misa is already on her way to retrieve the other note. What happens now?"

"I will not kill L for you." Rem said coldly. "If the worst happens, I will kill you and tell him the truth. He has honor. He will not harm Misa if I explain that you manipulated her."

Light shot her a look filled with venom before feigning sleepiness as L returned.

"Ryuzaki, I'm going to bed. Okay?"

L didn't look at him. "Yes, Light-kun. I will see you tomorrow." He watched the computer blankly until he heard Light walk away.

L was not an idiot. He had seen at least a few things over the past few days. The end was coming, and he knew it. That was why he had asked Mogi to follow Misa when she left the building. Something strange was going on, and L would not rest until he knew what. Danger waited ahead, and he was hemmed in on all sides. Any way he turned, it would not end well, but he had expected that from the beginning. All that remained was to try, and hope that he survived.

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Light lay on his bed, his _own_ bed, and his _own_ room. After months of being chained to Ryuzaki, he relished his moments of being alone to think. A plan was coming together for him, using that most precious piece of information that he clung to like a security blanket. Childish rhymes, indeed. _I know something you don't know I know, and I'm not telling…_ He needed to speak to Misa. Unfortunately, it would require taking her on a date. But going on a date, in turn, should lessen L's suspicions. Normal people went on dates, not serial killers. But for this plan, several steps would be required. He would either need to steal the Death Note that Ryuzaki had locked up here, or he needed to get rid of Rem and get hers.

Light wanted to laugh. It was a beautiful plan. It would prove just how many followers Kira truly had, while at the same time dealing a huge blow to his enemies. He smiled to himself, pleased.

_Just wait, Ryuzaki… L… Your biggest mistake was trusting me. I could have killed you that night, if I had been aware and had the means, but instead I gained a much more powerful weapon. Your king is in check, Ryuzaki. How many pieces are you willing to lose before you surrender?_

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Think about it. If he had been Kira when he spiked L's smoothie, he could have put poison in it just as easily.

I'm so happy people reviewed! Thank you to **azaneti, Shotgun Lovers, Feline Jaye, NaroRau, **and** odette.303.** Seriously, I was thrilled to find that many for having not really started.

Odette, I'm jealous of your subtitled trailer. I can't get to Youtube, thanks to my damned blocked school laptop and blocked library computers. I'm translating those wordbits that pop up via Wikipedia and the Altavista Babelfish. (frowns) Bleh. It's harder than I thought.

For Naro and Jaye: Yes, Naro, Light is a person, despite me and a whole mob of L-fans hating him. And Jaye, hope this answers your Kira question!

Yay! The plot is moving! And don't worry, L-fans. Although this chapter takes place during Episode 24/chapter number-still-to-lazy-to-look-up, I will NOT be following canon for this part. I'm an L fangirl too, and if I can save him, I sure as hell will!

Li


	4. The Best Laid Plans

Chapter Four: The Best Laid Plans

Mogi was tailing Misa deep into the woods in the park. The trails didn't extend this far, and he could only wonder where she was going at such a pace. She was practically running, thrumming with joy over something that Mogi didn't understand at all. What could be out here that the model would be so thrilled about?

She slowed down considerably the deeper into the woods they got, looking around her as if checking for landmarks. She finally dropped to her knees beside a large tree and began to dig. Mogi watched in silence for about five minutes, before a simple wooden box was uncovered. She opened it, reaching out and taking what was inside, and Mogi gasped. A second Death Note. He reeled back in horror. Misa was the Second Kira, no mistake about it. He could only stare in shocked silence as she began to converse with thin air; speaking, he assumed, to the Shinigami who owned this particular notebook. It was only further confirmed when she tossed an apple up, and it hovered in midair for a moment before being devoured by the unseen Death God. Mogi slowly began to back up, careful not to make any sound. He had to get back to headquarters. He had to tell Ryuzaki, before it was too late. He turned to go back to his car, and caught a glimpse of white.

"Rem…?" he breathed. He paled when he saw what she was holding: the ebony notebook that was obviously hers. Her pen was poised over the page as if she had just finished writing something. "No… No!" Mogi tried to walk away, tried to get back from the Shinigami's pale, specter-like form, but could not. It was probably for the best, as backing up was only leading him closer to the Second Kira and the Shinigami he couldn't see. He stopped backing up, as Rem began to crumble to dust, and continued towards his car, his expression vacant.

"Rem!" Misa cried, running over when she saw the female Shinigami. "Oh my god, what have you done?! Why are you crumbling?"

"Misa… Take my notebook when I die." Rem said. "I saved you… He knew…" Misa saw Mogi walking away, and her eyes widened.

"Is he…?"

"He will die… after you are safe…" Rem murmured. She had followed Misa, seeing Mogi leaving headquarters behind her. She would keep Misa safe, even if technically she should stay with Light. She didn't give a damn if he owned the other notebook. Misa came first, always…

Her form disintegrated before she could explain anything further, leaving Misa to gently pick the fallen notebook up and wrap it with the other.

"Thank you, Rem…" she mumbled sadly. Ryuk chuckled behind her.

"She loved you, huh? A Shinigami with emotions. Hahahaha!" he laughed. "Hey, Misa, will we see Light later?"

Misa thought back to what Light had said. He had asked her to come retrieve the notebook, then meet him for a date in his favorite coffee shop that afternoon. She had been thrilled by the prospect of a date at the time, but Rem's death had hit hard. "Yes, Ryuk. Light-kun wants to go on a date later. It was supposed to be fun! Our first real date! But I have to tell him about Rem…"

"Oh. Hahahah! Light will be fine, I'm sure…" Ryuk guessed that Light would definitely have a plan for this situation. He did for every other. But for now, they were simply going to have to wait for the time of the date, and see what happened then.

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At the investigation headquarters, L was seated on the couch, eating ice cream and staring depressingly around the room. His gloomy demeanor seemed to be infecting the rest of the task force as well, for most weren't even attempting to work. Light laughed to himself, enjoying L's utter helplessness in this situation.

_How does it feel, Ryuzaki? To have things completely out of your control, unable to do anything when the answer is staring you in the face? Don't worry. This is the easy part. The worst is yet to come…_

He glanced at the clock, calling in a falsely cheerful voice, "I have to go. I have a date with Misa. See you later, Ryuzaki?"

"Certainly, Light-kun." If L's voice had lacked emotion before, he now sounded completely dead. Light waved, strolling out the door, smiling as he passed Mogi in the hallway. L looked up as Mogi entered the room. "Mogi-san, did you find anything?"

"No, Ryuzaki. Misa went straight home. I observed, and there was nothing unusual at all." Mogi replied.

L sighed. "Very well, then." He looked back at his ice cream, even more melancholy than before, and took a bite. Chewing, he glanced out the window, where thick clouds were forming, and sighed again. It looked like rain. He cast his gaze once around the room. He wondered where the Shinigami, Rem, had gotten to. It was disconcerting to know that she might be lurking just out of sight…

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Light walked quickly to the small coffee shop. Hurrying inside, he found Misa already waiting with a small envelope. She gave him a huge hug, spouting about how she was so happy to see him, before they finally sat down at the table in the back that Light favored.

Light leaned forward, saying quietly, "Did you do as I asked?"

Misa passed him the envelope, which Light noticed had his name on it, with little hearts drawn all around. "Misa got the other Death Note back for you! Misa is glad that she remembers being the Second Kira, because she and Light make the best pair!"

Light peered into the envelope to confirm, and frowned. "Why are there two in here?"

Misa immediately lost some of her bubbly cheer. "Rem… Rem saved me. Some task force guy was following me, and saw me get the note. Rem wrote his name to die, and told me to take hers."

Light's thoughts were rushing a mile a minute. _Mogi?_ Was it Mogi? Ryuzaki had honestly thought… Light wanted to punch the spidery detective. If Rem hadn't been there, they would probably all be in jail by now. But this also solved the predicament of a second Death Note. There would be no need to attempt to steal the other one from under L's nose, now. Rem's would do just fine. Now all he needed was…

"Yagami-kun?" A hesitant female voice spoke from around the corner. Light glanced up, smiling when he saw who it was.

"Takada-san, come sit down." he invited. She smiled, sitting down on the end of the table. Misa bristled, staring at the other girl with jealousy in her eyes.

"Light! Who is this?!?" she asked indignantly.

Light smiled disarmingly, dazzling both females. "This is a friend of mine from college, Kiyomi Takada. She's here to help us out with a plan. She is an avid Kira supporter."

"I graduated from college this past year and got work as a TV reporter for NHN." Takada said. "I was so happy when Yagami-kun said that he and his girlfriend were Kira supporters too."

"Did you do as I asked?" Light inquired. Takada nodded.

"I called a friend of mine, Teru Mikami." she explained. "He's a dedicated Kira supporter as well. I met him at a debate, and we've spoken often." She withdrew her cell phone from her purse, dialing a number and putting it on speaker. When it was answered, she said easily, "Mikami? I'm meeting with my friends now." Light had told her specifically not to mention his name. She didn't know why, but it didn't matter to her. Light must have had his reasons.

"Am I on speaker, Takada-san?" a quiet, polite voice asked on the other end.

"Yes."

"Then, hello, friends of Takada. Do I get the pleasure of knowing your names?"

Light blinked, and leaned forward towards the phone. "Hello, Teru Mikami. I must ask that neither of you react in an ill manner, but… You may call me Kira, and my friend, the Second Kira."

Takada was speechless, staring at him. Mikami's voice was silent as well, obviously in an equal amount of shock. Takada took a deep breath, finally saying in little more than a whisper, "You are truly Kira?"

Light pulled out Misa's Death Note from the envelope. "I am Kira, and this is Kira's weapon. A notebook that kills whoever's name is written on its pages." He pulled out a second envelope, sliding the Death Note into it and sealing it tightly, enclosing both the note and the letter that was already in there. He looked at the phone, asking as he pulled out a pen, "Mikami-san, what is your address?" He wrote it down as Mikami spoke, then handed the envelope to Takada. "Mail this tonight. Mikami, you will assume the role of Kira for me for now."

"You are in a position where you are unable to act?" Mikami asked.

"Yes… L is still suspicious of me." Light said. "I require all of your aid for my plans to work. You three, the Second, Fourth, and Fifth Kiras, will be my generals for this upcoming battle."

"As you command… Kami." Mikami said softly. Light smirked. _Kami._ It had a nice feel to it, very nice indeed.

Takada looked as though she couldn't be happier. She eagerly agreed to whatever he asked. And Misa… Misa would dive off a cliff if he told her too. She was no problem. Light smirked. Everything was going as planned.

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Everything was relatively quiet at headquarters. Everyone but Matsuda still returned to their own homes at night, so Light and L were left to… Well, they couldn't even say that they worked any more. L stared into space, blankly eating cake without seeming to notice the taste at all. Light watched him, still trying to determine who this new L was. He didn't have a name for it. He wasn't _L_. He wasn't _Ryuzaki_. So who the hell was he? What was his real name?

They were interrupted by a call from Watari, which was odd. He never called this late, unless there was some kind of emergency.

L addressed the 'W' on the screen. "What is it, Watari?"

"It's Mogi-san." Watari said. "He's had a heart attack."

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_Kanzo Mogi – Heart attack_

_Returns to headquarters and informs Ryuzaki that he saw nothing suspicious, forgetting anything that he actually did see. Proceeds with the rest of his day as normal, and dies at 11:30pm at his home._

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Let us take a moment to remember Mogi, for his noble sacrifice… Sorry, but someone had to die, and he was it. Chief Yagami can't die (yet), Matsuda might be needed for something important (he saved everybody in the end, remember?), Aizawa is… well, Aizawa. He just won't die. And I have a soft spot for Ide, so he can't die either. Not now.

God only knows where Light buried the Death Note, so I made it a park. Wahoo. And this is where the timeline gets seriously screwy. Obviously everyone is however old they were when this happened. It's probably… November 4th, 2005. Mikami's a fledgling lawyer, Takada just graduated and got her first job… This is fun.

DarkAmber, I'm glad you like the story, and I would certainly never kill off my precious L, if I can help it. Naro... no one has ever called _me_ brilliant before. Writing, yes. Me, no. You have no idea how much that means to me. And Odette, thank you too. Reviews make me so happy.

Chapters are getting longer! Yay! It is my last post of 2007. It is five minutes to midnight. See you all next year!

Li


	5. Rain

Chapter Five: Rain

The next day was almost oppressively sad. Mogi's family had to be notified of what happened, and the tearful wails of denial were almost too much to bear. L had left the task to the remaining task force members, unwilling to go outside the building. Kira had gotten Mogi, that much was certain. But how? When? L couldn't seem to think. His mind felt fogged, as if he'd been drugged, yet he knew that no such thing had occurred. And the bells… The sound of bells had been haunting him, all day… He almost wanted to believe…

_Funeral bells_…

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Light looked up from his work some time that afternoon, glancing around the room before speaking up.

"Oi, has anyone seen Ryuzaki?" he called to the others. Most shook their heads no. Light frowned. Where had the slippery detective disappeared to? Light couldn't have him sneaking off and making plans. Not that L seemed capable of thinking coherently right now. He'd seemed a zombie since Higuchi had died. Light stood, figuring that he had better go find L before the man did something stupid.

He trekked over the whole building, finally mounting the stairs to the roof when no one had turned up anywhere else. It was raining, a steady, soaking shower, and Light couldn't imagine that the world's greatest detective would be stupid enough to stand out in the rain. But he was proven wrong as he reached the roof, seeing L's slim figure gazing up at the sky sadly, drenched by the falling water.

Light stared at him for a moment, wondering what the hell he was doing, and called sharply, "Ryuzaki!"

L glanced at him, but then looked back at the sky. Light sighed, walking out into the rain towards L. He was soaked through by the time he reached the raven-haired man, and asked softly, "Are you trying to get sick, Ryu?"

"The heavens are crying, Light-kun…" L murmured. "I wonder… what are they crying for?" Light stared at him, the pale stick-figure looking up into the rain like it held all the answers. L finally looked at his face, and added in a low voice, "I also hear the bells, Light-kun. They are tolling a requiem."

"Ryuzaki…" Light said softly. He watched L for a long moment, finally understanding. L thought he was going to die. L expected these to be his last hours alive. Light's expression softened. He truly had great respect for L. To stay so calm, when he believed that death was but a short while away… Light couldn't help but admire him. L didn't have to die. Light would not abandon his plan, but that would merely wound, not kill. It should not prove a fatal blow, unless he had interpreted L incorrectly. And even then, death would not come from him. That would be L's choice. But Light knew in that moment that this could go one of two ways. Either L ended up another victim of Kira's quest for a perfect world…

Or L would break, and would not have to die. Light truly hoped for the latter. He enjoyed matching wits with the detective, and working with him despite all of his odd quirks. He was the closest thing Light had ever had to a real friend, and he didn't want to see the other dead. Seeing him now, standing in the rain looking lost and alone, Light was sharply reminded of a child. An orphan, Light remembered. And he couldn't help but wonder how long L had been alone.

He walked up behind L, noting how the raven-head immediately tensed. Light wrapped his arms around the shivering frame, both soaked.

"You're freezing, Ryuzaki. At this rate, we really will get sick." he teased. L sighed, tension trickling away.

"Do you really care that much, Light-kun?" he whispered, barely audible over the pattering of rain on the roof. Water dripped from his hair, running in rivulets over his skin, and he shivered again from the chill.

Light raised an eyebrow. "How will anything get done if you're sick in bed? No one else seems to have any work ethic. And having been sick many times, I can honestly say it's not a pleasant experience. Come and dry off, Ryu."

L grudgingly followed him back inside, remaining seated on the wide stairs as Light went in search of towels. He came back with giant fluffy ones from one of the bathrooms, handing one over to L.

L wrapped it around himself, huddling into it to try and regain some body heat. He was fairly certain that if Light hadn't shown up when he did, he would have stood out there until he developed hypothermia. If Light were Kira, would he really care this much about L's well-being? L resisted the urge to yawn. He hadn't slept in days, staying up literally since the night they had retrieved the notebook. It was catching up with him, especially since he had gotten used to sleeping back when he was handcuffed to Light. Maybe that was why he couldn't think straight.

Light was staring at the detective, thinking to himself that a wet L looked very much like a drowned puppy. He was resisting the urge to laugh, when L looked up at him with his wide eyes and asked, "Have either of us ever told the truth? Just once, in our entire lives?"

Light stared at him. "Ryuzaki, not everything someone says can be a lie. We tell the truth all the time. When you say you prefer to eat nothing but sweets, are you lying?"

L sighed, gazing at his knees. "Important things, Light-kun. I have never told anyone my real name. Only one other person knows who I truly am. I hide away from everything and everyone. Is that not lying by omission? And you are just the same. Who are you? Are you Light Yagami, or are you Kira?"

"I'm not Kira, Ryuzaki." Light said, hiding his irritation at being accused, again. "And I never lie if it will hurt someone I care about."

L smiled a triumphant, yet small and sad, smile. "Then you have never cared for me. For you have lied to me since the day we met… And it hurts." He rubbed the towel over his messy hair. "I believe there was one time when you did not lie to me. But it is gone, now." Rewrapping the towel snugly around himself, he looked up, something reflecting in his eyes that Light couldn't place. As he stared into the obsidian orbs, he saw himself as L saw him. Kira. And the same sad smile never left L's face as he whispered, "But I do trust you, Light-kun." _I trust you to keep your promise. I trust you to kill me._

Light heard what L didn't speak out loud, and chuckled to himself. No, even that feeble trust was misplaced, because Light had no intention of killing him. L would stay alive for now, if only so that he could witness Light's endgame, and know that he himself had given up the information that made it possible.

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After they were dry, they returned to the investigation. Light was calmly searching the internet, looking up addresses and checking on a few other things that would be vital in the coming days. L was paying him no attention, which was a good thing. The lanky detective was conversing quickly with Watari in English, too fast for Light to translate. He finally disconnected, turning to face everyone else in the room.

"Everyone…" he said slowly, waiting for them to look at him. When everyone, including Light, was paying attention, he went on, "I have asked Watari to inquire about a country that will allow us to test the notebook."

Everyone's eyes widened.

"But why?" Matsuda protested. "We know that the book is capable of killing! Higuchi killed enough people to verify that!"

"It is not the ability to kill that I wish to test. It is the validity of the rules." L explained, though he looked irritated at being questioned. "The Thirteen Day Rule is too convenient, and I have reason to believe that it is fake. If we can prove this rule false, I will have enough evidence to close the case."

"But, someone's life…" Chief Yagami said in disbelief.

"One life is worth it to save the thousands more that Kira will execute if we do not catch him." L said firmly. The rest stared at him a moment, then returned to their own tasks. Light looked back at his computer screen, stunned into silence. So soon! He hadn't expected this for a week, at least! He resumed working, much more quickly than before. Several frantic clicks later, he sat back. It was all right. Everything was ready. He just had to get into contact with Misa, Takada, and Mikami, and everything would proceed smoothly. The other preparations were done. All that was left was to wait.

Light had just finished his last e-mail, to Mikami, when L finally came over.

"What are you doing, Light-kun?" he asked, peering at the screen, where the 'E-mail sent!' verification had come up. Light smiled.

"Just e-mailing a friend, Ryuzaki. The research you asked me to get is done." he said. He pulled it up on-screen, allowing L to triple-check it, as usual.

L stared at him. "Who were you e-mailing?" he asked, tilting his head in that childish way that portrayed him as just asking for the sake of asking, when he was truly digging for information.

"A friend named Mikami. I met him at college. He's a lawyer. He's going to England for a few days to attend a lecture, so I wanted to wish him a nice trip." Light said, his story perfectly rehearsed. And if L cared to check, he would indeed find plane tickets reserved under the name Teru Mikami, bound for England. Misa was leaving for a 'photo shoot' in America as well, and Takada was going to Russia for a 'reporter's conference'. L listened to his reason for the e-mail blankly, and apparently satisfied, returned to his seat. Light grinned. Everything was working perfectly.

He walked outside, seeing Ryuk swooping down to talk to him. He started up the street with the Shinigami at his side, just like old times.

"What are you doing, Ryuk?" Light asked quietly. "Aren't you supposed to be with Mikami?"

"Eh, I wanted to talk to you." Ryuk laughed. "That guy got so freaked out when he saw me! It took five minutes of explaining to assure him that I didn't want to eat his soul. You could have warned him, Light."

"Where's the fun in that?" Light asked wryly. Ryuk only laughed.

"Anyway, Light, with regards to this plan of yours… Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ryuk asked. "I mean, this could turn out really bad… Not even Shinigami usually… "

Light smirked. "It's fine. He'd never suspect me. All this is, is one step closer to breaking him. And destroying a potential obstacle along the way. All of my pawns are in place, and his are still completely unaware. This will be easy."

"Light…" Ryuk said slowly. "Sometimes I think you're more of a Shinigami than I am."

"That's good, Ryuk. That's good. After all, Shinigami are _Gods_ of Death. And I will be god of the New World."

DNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

Happy New Year!

Scared you all with the rain scene, huh? But I had to put it. I love that scene, even if I hate what it leads to.

I swear, I'm spoiling you all. An update a day… I think it's because I want to get as much written as I can before school starts again tomorrow. Hell, if I can get it done, I'll post chapter six tonight too. Chapter six is a bit shorter. But after school starts, there definitely will not be updates every day. But I won't abandon this, never!

So, Naro, wasn't Light a bit nicer? At least at the beginning… He'll get much worse within a few chapters, believe me. :)

Li


	6. Premonition

Chapter Six: Premonition

Two days, it had been. Light had sent and received e-mails checking the whereabouts of his generals, confirming that everything was going as necessary. The only thing to wait for was the final domino, the starting point that would set everything else toppling into motion. In America, Misa was lounging about on the beaches of Virginia. Takada was eagerly observing the historical wonders of Moscow, Russia, and Mikami was sightseeing in England. But all knew that when the time came, they were ready to do what must be done.

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More criminals had died, but with no leads on the whereabouts of Kira, very little progress had been made on the case. L had taken to sending everyone home early, only tolerating Light's presence for the sake of keeping an eye on him. Light didn't mind at all, since it was _he _who should be keeping an eye on Ryuzaki, to make sure that the other did nothing to screw up his perfect plan. He recalled his last meeting with Misa, and the request he had made of her.

_"Misa, I need the notebook. One name, just to see something…"_

It had turned out better than he had ever expected. His plan was going to be even more effective than he had initially hoped. He flicked through TV channels in the investigation room, casually watching L out of the corner of his eye. When he found what he was looking for, he called out urgently, "L, you need to see this!"

L's glance was puzzled, but he got up and came over anyway. He sat down next to Light on the couch, just in time to hear the reporter saying, "…and according to the anonymous letter received with the tape, there will be copies broadcast in several major countries around the world. This is not a hoax, we swear. It is a tape from the actual Kira. Please listen as we broadcast it."

"Not again…" Light groaned. "Is it the same person?"

L was silent, staring as the elegant script proclaiming 'Kira' appeared on the screen. "Not the Second Kira. More likely, the first. But what is his motive?" Light saw the look L surreptitiously flicked at him, and chose to ignore it. L always suspected him, regardless. He glanced back at the tape, resisting the urge to smirk.

"…and all those who truly follow my ideals, rise up and follow my generals. They will be known by my mark, and will lead you to a great triumph over my enemies! Three days from now, on November the thirteenth, there will be a reckoning…"

L glanced at the date on the computer screen. "Friday the thirteenth, Light-kun. I didn't think Kira would be so superstitious."

"Bad luck day? Maybe it's symbolic. In any case, _something_ bad is going to happen." Light said, his acting flawless, as usual. L stared at him, but the phone began ringing off the hook. L answered it, frowning as he listened.

"Yes, Yagami-san. I saw the video. No, we cannot do anything about it now. We will discuss it tomorrow. Goodnight." This was repeated with Matsuda, Aizawa, and Ide, before finally L's own cell phone rang, and he answered it to speak to Watari. "No, Watari, I am unsure what he means. I will see. Yes. No, we cannot attempt anything tonight. Yes. Goodnight, Watari. Thank you." He slipped the phone back into his pocket, and stared fixedly at Light. "What is Kira planning, Light-kun?"

"I don't know, Ryuzaki. I'm just as confused as you are." Light replied. L stared at him for a second longer, before turning away to sit down on one of the armchairs. He gripped his knees tightly.

"I'm worried, Light-kun." he said softly. Light blinked. L smiled wryly, continuing, "I know. It is unlike me to worry about anything, but… I am certain that if Kira were to attempt to attack this building, we could fight him off very easily, or at the very least keep them from getting in. But when I don't know where the attack will come, I cannot effectively plan against it."

"It'll be fine, L. For now, all we can do is wait and see." Light's voice was calm, but inside he was containing his laughter. _Don't worry, L! You'll see what it all means soon enough!_

DNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

So I lied. As long as I can, I will continue to try and update every day. If I can continue to secretly work on this during science class, it shouldn't be a problem. Short chapter this time, but I knew that.

Anyone care to guess what Light has planned? No, not L dying! But you probably will hate me for it... Even I didn't think Light was capable of this, but if I tell him to, anything is possible! (snarky grin)

Soooo many reviews! I love you guys! And I finally found the reply button, so I can reply to them all individually. (sheepish grin) Chapter seven is already halfway done! Next chapter, prepare to see Light's plan come into action!

Li


	7. Silence

Chapter Seven: Silence

A dark figure walked through the streets of Winchester, England, cloaked and hooded. It was early evening, and the figure walked calmly, unhurriedly. They had been exploring this area for days, and knew exactly where they were going. A certain bar, tucked into a side street, where a large amount of Kira supporters would gather to discuss their views on the world. The hooded figure stopped in the doorway, looking over the assortment of people inside.

The bar went quiet as all eyes landed on the newcomer. Several of the more aggressive guys demanded to know what the person's business was, and that they didn't tolerate strangers. The person gazed from behind the hood with eyes that blazed red, and wordlessly raised their hand.

A 'K' was carved into the back of the hand in elegant script, dripping blood. The cuts were fresh.

Everyone present froze. They had seen the TV broadcast. There was only one explanation. It was time.

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In a certain orphanage, a single child was staring aimlessly out the window. The other children of the orphanage were making use of the free time granted to them after dinner, but Near sat silently in his room, one of his figures in his hand, and stared out the window. He raised a hand absently to press at the bruise on his shoulder, and winced. It still hurt. Mello had pushed him into the doorframe the day before yesterday, and it _still_ hurt. With all the bruises he had accumulated over the years, he wondered why he was still stuck sharing a bedroom with Mello and Matt.

At least Mello didn't push him around as much as before. Matt had finally protested the blond's treatment of the younger boy, and Mello had grudgingly backed off. Still, the occasional bruise still appeared on Near's pale skin, because he was Mello's favorite person to beat on.

As he stared out the window, he saw several of the older children playing football on the lawn, with Mello and Matt among them. Thirteen-year-old Near could have joined in, but he preferred to stay inside, playing with Legos, his robots, or any kind of stackable object he could get his hands on. He watched Roger shoo them back inside, sighing. Mello would be back soon, and who knew what would happen after that?

Sure enough, Mello and Matt returned, laughing and sweaty from running around. They changed into pajamas, flopping on their respective beds and continuing their conversation. Until finally…

"Hey Near!" It was Mello's voice. Near glanced warily at him, and Mello confirmed, "Yes, you, you anti-social little weirdo. Why don't you ever go outside?"

Near stared at him a moment before saying quietly, "I prefer to stay indoors, Mello."

Mello made a scoffing sound, rolling over to resume talking to Matt. Near stared at him in wonder. No insults or biting comments? Mello must be in a really good mood. He looked back out the window, smiling to himself, when he saw the flashlights. Hundreds, it seemed, coming up the main driveway. The people carrying the flashlights didn't look particularly pleasant at all.

"Mello? Matt?"

"What do you want, you little…" Mello trailed off as he saw what Near was looking at. He got up, Matt close behind, and came over for a better look. "Who are they, Near?"

"I don't know. They don't look nice. We might be in trouble." They watched as the people reached the door, and seemingly everything was okay. But then the sound of the door splintering met their ears, and all three paled.

"Something is badly wrong…" Matt whispered. He stepped back from the window, as one of the older children burst through the bedroom door.

"Mello, Near, Matt! We have to go! Roger wants everyone taken to the safe house. We have to evacuate!"

"What's going on?" Mello demanded.

"Kira supporters are attacking the house! We don't know how they found us, but Roger says we have to make sure all the children get out safely." the boy explained. Near nodded, hurrying behind as Mello and Matt brought up the rear, splitting up to wake up those who had already gone to bed. Finally, they all met on the stairs, where smoke was slowly starting to gather. One of the men attacking the house had thrown something that had set one of the upper rooms ablaze, and the fire was spreading quickly.

"Come on, that's everyone." the older boy said, sadly. "The uppermost rooms… We couldn't get to them."

The four started down the stairs, when Near suddenly pulled back. "My puzzle!" He turned back up the stairs, before Mello grabbed his arm.

"Dumbass, where are you going?" Mello demanded. "Are you retarded?" He had never seen such emotion in Near's normally flat onyx eyes.

Near jerked his arm away. "It was from L!" Then he was gone, faster than Mello had thought he was capable of moving. But the blond understood now. Each of them, him, Matt, and Near, had a gift that they had been given two Christmases ago by L, right before he left for Japan. Matt had been given a game, which was in the Gameboy in the pocket of his coat. Mello had been given a one-pound chocolate bar, which had been eaten by now. And Near had been given a blank white puzzle with the Old English 'L' in the corner. It was this that he was now rushing so quickly to retrieve.

Mello and Matt started to go after him, but the other boy held them back.

"It's too risky. I won't lose all of you!" He dragged them down the stairs and out a back door, to wait with the rest in a hidden area. Several of them had not made it out of the house; a very noticeable amount, especially to the people who had known those who were missing. Mello and Matt stared at the door, waiting to see the small, fluffy white head come running out the back door. But it didn't come.

Behind them, the adults were herding the children into cars, which were escaping down an emergency back road. Roger was silently thanking God that Watari had thought of this possibility. He had been skeptical that anyone would ever discover Wammy's House's secrets, but if they did… This backup plan had always been in place, though the fire was unexpected.

Someone came and tried to get Mello and Matt to leave, but they refused to move. There was one car left, waiting for the remainder of the adults and the two of them. Roger was on the phone with Watari. They refused to look away from the house.

A splintering crash echoed from inside, and part of the roof started to collapse. Mello let out a yell, as if in pain, and raced back towards the door. "NEAR!"

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In Tokyo, Japan, the Kira Task Force Headquarters was doing what it normally did. Researching, and yet really getting nowhere. L was furiously typing something into his computer. He felt like he had a pretty good idea why Mogi had been killed. He had seen something, possibly while following Misa Amane. In that case, had he been controlled to say that he had seen nothing? There were too many variables to accurately determine what had happened. Kira may have simply finally discovered his real name, and decided to cut them back one task force member. It could have nothing to do with Amane at all.

L sighed. Light was watching TV, flicking through different news channels from several different countries. Matsuda and Ide were watching with him, really having nothing better to do. Suddenly Ide cried out, reaching for the remote held in Light's grasp.

"Wait, go back!"

Light clicked the channel back and froze, an expression of disbelief on his face. The headline read in large red print, "Kira?"

The female reporter, talking quickly in English, was subtitled for the Japanese TV. She was saying in an urgent, panicked voice, "…And just a short while ago, Kira supporters attacked this orphanage in Winchester, with no explanation given for the attack besides that these people defied Kira's justice." It cut over to an image of the crowd, a hooded figure in their midst. The figure saw the camera, raising their hand to display the bloody "K" carved into the back. It went back to the reporter, who continued, "Several children have been confirmed dead at this time, but it is rumored that most escaped through…"

A horrible clatter interrupted whatever she had been about to say. They looked around in puzzlement, seeing L sprawled on the floor, his laptop lying sideways beside him alongside the fallen computer chair. He scrambled to his feet, racing over to stare at them with wide eyes.

"Where did they say this was?!" he demanded urgently.

"W-Winchester, England." Matsuda mumbled, completely freaked out by seeing L in such a panic. L paled at the mention of England, and raced back to his desk, just as the computer came up with Watari's "W".

"Watari!" They began to speak in English, L's voice sounding horrified and worried.

_"Watari, did you see…?"_

_"I did. The houses in Moscow and Virginia are under attack as well. Roger, as well as the heads of the other houses, have reported that almost all of the children have made it to safety."_

_"Almost all? But…"_

_"They did the best they could, L."_

_"No! Damn Kira! Russia and Virginia were what they said they were! They were merely ordinary orphanages, schools for the gifted! All of the potential heirs were in England. The others have died and been frightened for nothing!"_

_"L, calm down. We need to work though this crisis carefully."_

_"Watari… Are Mello, and Matt, and Near…? Are they…?"_

_"I'm on the phone with Roger right now. Mello and Matt are waiting outside the house. Near…"_

A strangled gasp came from the other end.

"Watari?" L cried. "Watari!!" His eyes filled with an emotion somewhere between confusion and horror. He looked completely lost. "Watari, talk to me! Watari!"

"L?" Light came up behind him. "Is it…?"

He didn't get to finish. L looked up at him, wide eyes sparkling suspiciously with what looked like unshed tears, before the eccentric detective raced from the room.

"L!" Light yelled. "Ryuzaki! Come back!" But his pleas went unheard. The task force looked at each other in confusion.

"I've never seen him act like that before." Chief Yagami murmured. "Something about this report… And Watari…"

"Maybe that place was important to him." Matsuda suggested.

"Maybe." Chief Yagami looked over. "Aizawa, Ide, go check on Watari. We… we need to confirm if he's dead."

They nodded solemnly. Light smiled to himself. He hadn't understood most of the speedy conversation, but he had gotten parts of it. And from the insomniac's reaction, he had done exactly what had been intended. Broken L's heart and will. He thought of the Death Note, safely hidden in Takada's house for now. Everything had gone just as written.

_Quillsh Wammy – Heart attack_

_Tells Light Yagami everything about Wammy's House without L's knowledge. Acts as normal until the attack on the houses commences, dies at 9:30pm._

It had just been the perfect coincidence that L had happened to be speaking with him at that time. If Light had assumed correctly, L was shattered now. All that was left was a few final details, and to proclaim his victory.

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"Are you insane?!" Matt cried, chasing after Mello as the crazy blond ran back towards the burning house. "What the hell are you doing?!?!"

Mello didn't even slow down, simply yelling over his shoulder, "I won't become Number One like this! I'll beat him fair and square!" And Matt suddenly understood. He ran up behind Mello, ignoring the yells of the adults, and both plunged back into the fiery house.

The fire had spread to part of the first floor by then. Kira's supporters had gone, apparently satisfied with their work. Mello hurried through the various rooms, calling, "Near! Near, where are you, you little brat?!"

Matt finally grabbed the back of his vest, tugging him towards the foyer. There, a flash of white. Near lay curled in a ball, one leg trapped by debris that had fallen from the ceiling. He was clutching the pouch that held his puzzle tightly to his chest, and appeared to be only partly conscious.

Mello grabbed the chunk of ceiling, using all of his strength to force it to the side enough to free Near. Near looked up, appearing shocked to see them, and whispered in a pain-filled voice, "I think my leg is broken."

Matt carefully knelt and picked him up, knowing that Mello was being nice, but would never agree to _carry_ Near. He felt how small and fragile Near seemed in his arms, and immediately felt bad for every time they had picked on him.

"Hang on, Near." he said softly. "It'll be okay." Near nodded faintly, resting his head on Matt's shoulder. Mello leaned over, looking at Near uneasily. He was paler than usual, but appeared to otherwise be okay.

"He'll be all right?" Mello asked.

Matt smiled at the concern in Mello's voice. "He seems okay, other than the broken leg. We'll get him outside. They'll know what to do." Mello reached out for Near's hand, and the younger boy squeezed it tightly, not willing to let go.

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Roger and the remaining adults were trying to figure out what to do. Watari's call had suddenly cut off, leaving them to assume the worst. They were also debating whether or not to send someone in after Mello and Matt. They all were shocked when Mello and Matt reemerged from the house, Near cradled in Matt's arms. There was a rush to get the three into a car, to drive them to safety. They wanted Near in the front seat, but he wouldn't let go of Mello's hand. So he ended up in the back with Mello and Matt. He had finally passed out, so he couldn't feel his leg jarring as the car drove along. Mello and Matt exchanged glances, wondering what would happen to them now.

When they arrived at the safe house, small children were in tears, older children were demanding to know what had happened, and there was chaos everywhere. A few adults hustled Near off to put a cast on his leg, and Mello and Matt were left to cope for themselves. Roger came up to them, wringing his hands anxiously, and asked, "Are you two all right? Is there anything you need?"

The two boys exchanged a glance. They had discussed this in the back of the car, whispering back and forth hurriedly. There was really only one thing they felt they could do.

Mello looked at Roger, the spark of authority that had made him second in line for L's position glimmering in his eyes, and said firmly, "We want tickets to Japan. Matt, Near, and I. We're going to where L is."

"Boys, I don't think…" But Roger stopped at the looks on their faces. Never had he seen them this determined. And Mello had included Near in that 'we', which was unusual enough. He sighed to himself, saying only, "I'll see what I can do."

They exchanged triumphant smiles. Near would be all right, and they were off to Japan. L would know what the hell had happened. L knew everything. Besides, they'd be safer with L than they would here. It wasn't like Kira was anywhere near L, obviously!

DNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

Okay, so who wants to kill me now? Let's just get it over with. I'm evil, I know. Everyone who loves L and Near is probably after my blood, so… uh…

Anyway… That was Light's plan all along. You all assumed it was something to do with Watari's name. That was part of it, but his knowledge of Wammy's House was the worst weapon they could have handed him. And everybody should know who it was under that hood.

I hope everyone realized the significance of the chapter title… This chapter was written while listening to Dragonforce's "Through the Fire and Flames", from Guitar Hero III. And yes, there will be a chapter called 'Feelings Within' at some point. Gotta cover all my bases. (wry smile)

_Through the fire and the flames we carry on…  
_Li


	8. Consequence

Chapter Eight: Consequence

Light's father had sent him to find L. Yeah, right. In a building that size, finding one skinny detective could take hours, if not days, especially if said detective did not want to be found. Light had already confirmed that he was not with Watari. Aizawa and Ide had taken Watari's body to one of the unused bedrooms, to wait until L was well enough to possibly tell them how he had wanted to be buried. But to do that, they had to find L.

It was now midnight, and Light had yet to find him. The rest of the task force had gone to bed, leaving Light to trek around the darkening building. He had already searched the roof, all the spare bedrooms, and Misa's abandoned floor. He sure as hell hoped that L hadn't committed suicide. There had been a 1 chance of that happening. Light had not planned on killing L himself, especially since his real name remained elusively out of reach. Death would be L's choice in this case. But Light had assumed he was stronger than that.

He was walking back down the stairs from the upper floors, heading back towards his own room to go to bed, when he heard the sound. It sounded like crying, but Light wasn't sure. He went down the next set of steps to the landing of the seventeenth floor, and was astonished to find L curled up under the stairs. He appeared to only be about half-awake, and was crying almost silently. Light walked up, kneeling beside him and laying a hand on his shoulder. L did not respond. He didn't even seem to know that Light was there. Light sighed, picking him up and walking towards L's room. Instantly he was reminded of the night that had started all of this, the night that he had gotten L drunk enough to spill his secrets, and carried him to bed afterwards. He left the half-awake detective curled up in his bed, leaving for his own room, to celebrate. After all, what good was victory if one didn't get to bask in it?

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They did not get to see L the entire next day. He refused to leave his room, and determinedly locked everyone out. Anyone who went to try and coax him out was loudly and vehemently told to go away. And the one or two times Light went, there was the distinctive sound of something heavy impacting the door, as if the detective wished he could hit Light with whatever it was instead. That didn't bother Light in the least. What did bother him was the task force's reaction.

"Why does he only try to throw things at you?" Matsuda asked.

Light shrugged. "He still thinks I'm Kira. He probably blames me for all this. His logic doesn't seem to be in control at the moment." Which was just as well. The longer L couldn't think about this, the less likely he was to put the pieces together. Not that Light had left any clues, but L had some kind of magical ability to pull clues from nowhere.

"He just needs time to recover. I'm sure this was a huge blow." Chief Yagami said, like he understood. But Light understood best what this had done to L, and resisted the urge to laugh. L would never be able to work on this case effectively ever again.

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L sat in his room, a collection of books resting on the floor beside the bed. They were not for reading, but for hurling at the door if Light came back. Yes, it was unbearably childish, but he had admitted to being childish many times in the past. And if there was one person he did _not_ want to see at that moment, it was Light Yagami.

Light was Kira. L was almost certain. And he had never felt so much _hate_ for a single person before. Hate was a useless emotion. Just because you hated someone, things did not get accomplished. Hate could not put criminals in jail. Hate could not bring back your dead parents. And hate, most certainly, could not erase that fact that the most important thing in your life was gone, broken like the most fragile glass.

Shatterglass. Doomed to break in the end.

It had been a delicate web. Watari, Wammy's House, the children… Everything L cared about, linked together by the most fragile threads, and Kira had taken those threads and broken them, twisted them, utterly _destroyed_ them almost to the point of being irreparable. Watari was gone. L had cried for him first, not even realizing he was doing so until he had collapsed under the stairs, sobbing as he had never in his entire life. Not since he was six, sitting in his room at Wammy's House begging his parents to come back. But Watari had been there, then. Now even he was gone. L hadn't even really been conscious of stumbling from the room; the only thing echoing in his mind at the time was the need to get away, to not let the task force he was _supposed_ to be leading see him being so weak as to _cry_… He had taken refuge under the stairs, knowing somehow that they would never think to look there for him, and they would waste precious time searching and he could grieve for Watari in peace.

And the house itself… L felt terrible. The houses in Russia and Virginia held no importance to the position of 'L'. All the heirs had been in England. The children who had been hurt or killed at the others… they were all innocents. And England… L couldn't help but feel a small tinge of panic rise up every time he even thought about it. He couldn't help but worry about all the children, but his three, Mello, Near, and Matt… If he were to lose them too…

L had promised himself three years ago, at the conclusion of the Los Angeles BB Serial Killer case, that he would never again lose a child that he cared about. First Aisha, then Beyond. Even though Beyond had not been dead at the time, he would have been locked in prison for the rest of his life. But Kira had gotten to him first. And Aisha… Aisha had committed suicide. Everything had just become too much.

He would not lose Near, Mello, and Matt like he had lost Aisha and Beyond. Otherwise, he might be tempted to follow, because there would be no one left that he cared about.

There was a knock on the door, and Light's voice saying firmly, "L, you can't hide in your room forever. We need you out here!"

L picked up a thick hardback book and hurled it at the door. It connected with a satisfying crash and joined its predecessors in the small pile at the door's base. Light cursed outside the door, and Chief Yagami's voice replaced Light's.

"L, we are going to break the door down. We're worried about you."

_Worried about me, Yagami-san? Then arrest your son, for Watari's murder, for the children's murder, for all the Kira murders. He has taken everything from me, and at this point there is only one thing left for him to steal. If you want to save my life…_

With this thought, L realized that there had to be _something_ he could use to incriminate Light for this. Spurred on by this thought, he got up and opened the door, just as Chief Yagami and Light were preparing to ram it.

"The locks on these doors are not able to be popped, nor will the hinges come out of the wall. And I doubt you are strong enough to break through solid wood. That action would have resulted in nothing but injury to both of you."

They both stared at him. He looked as he always did: messy, disheveled, and sleep-deprived. There was no evidence that he had spent the last twenty-four hours locked in his room. He stared at them evenly, then said, "We need to investigate this matter. A move this big, Kira is bound to have left clues. I am going to retrieve cake, and I will meet you in the main room." He turned and walked away, leaving both Yagami men to stare after him. Eventually, Chief Yagami shrugged, heading back towards the other room. Light followed, grinning wickedly behind his father's back. L might fool everyone else, but he had learned to see through the cracks in the other's façade. He was trying to distance himself from this, but it was going to be harder than he thought.

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L took a slice of chocolate cake out of the fridge sadly. Watari had made it the day before yesterday, before…

_You will pay for this, Light Yagami. I will make sure of it._

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Poor L. (huggles L) He'll be okay, because Near, Mello, and Matt are okay.

I got the best mental image of L throwing books at the door. (smile) A hint of humor, to lighten the mood a bit.

And now, a note on **Beyond Birthday** and **Aisha**. The people who know (and love) Beyond Birthday is steadily growing larger, but if you don't know who he is, never fear. Beyond-kun is from the novel Another Note, coming out sometime in February, as far as I know. He grew up at Wammy's, before becoming a murderer to try to be better than L. The two of them look like twins, except Beyond's eyes are red, like Shinigami eyes. Aisha is my interpretation of the mysterious A from the same novel, the original heir to L's position. A supposedly committed suicide when it all became too much. I made her a girl, because there aren't enough girls in Death Note! Aisha's in a story I wrote for Beyond Birthday, called "The Second Child". Check my profile if you care. :)

Love you all!  
Li


	9. Family

Chapter Nine: Family

L was frustrated. There was NOTHING. No clues, no hints, nothing! The only lead he had was that Misa had been in America at the time of the attack on the Virginia house. But he did not know where in America her 'photo shoot' was, and as she had yet to return, he had no way to interrogate her. He could have interrogated Light, but true to his childish nature, he was still speaking to the other as little as possible.

Even if it turned out to be Misa, there was still the problem of Kira's other two 'generals'. If they were left to roam, even if he caught the first Kira, it was akin to asking the killings to resume again.

L found himself staring across the room at Light Yagami. How was it that such a perfect-looking boy could be so evil? But that was the problem, wasn't it? Light was too perfect for his own good. Blazing intelligence and extreme methods. L had never met someone so much like him since Beyond Birthday. It was no surprise that the boy could effortlessly charm and fool everyone around him, but it was depressing that no one in the task force believed him when he insisted that Light was Kira. Were they truly THAT blind?

He glanced lazily up at the monitors, noticing a disturbance on the one showing the front entrance, where some of the most extreme security was. Including the high-tech metal detectors that Aizawa hated so much… Anyway, there was currently a trio of children standing in the entrance, the blond one ranting about the metal detectors and using several choice words that L was positive he would not be allowed to say under normal circumstances. Oh, the joy of being able to lip-read the silent monitors. His eyes widened slightly upon seeing them, almost not wanting to trust his own eyes. Them? _Here_? He wasn't sure whether to be thrilled or horrified. On the one hand, they were safe, and he wanted nothing more than to have them with him. On the other, Kira prowled this building. It was obvious that he understood the matter of L's successors, and to have the first, second, and third in line all in one place… It was like telling Light flat-out _Please, go ahead and kill them…_ L would not be able to handle that happening.

"Aizawa-san." he said quietly, just loud enough for the policeman to hear. Aizawa glanced up questioningly, and L continued, "Please go down to the main entrance and bring the people you find there up here. If the blond one yells at you, please ignore him. He is inclined to outbursts."

Aizawa looked incredibly confused, but complied. L watched his progress on the monitors all the way down to the entrance. There, as predicted, the blond child began to yell unmercifully at him, more of those same choice words spilling from his lips. L watched Aizawa attempt to calm him, trying to explain, and finally giving up, letting the other two follow him. When the blond one realized he was being left behind, he immediately silenced, racing to catch up. L sat back in his chair, wondering if he had done the right thing. It didn't matter now. There was no way to stop it.

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When the door slid open to admit Aizawa and the three children, L stood up from his chair, hunched as usual. He raised a thumb to his lips, staring at them. Had they really grown so in only two years? He watched them look around the room, appearing to take in their surroundings completely before focusing entirely on him. The blond one lit up, charging forward to practically tackle L in a hug. "L!"

"Mello." L responded, wrapping one arm around the boy's shoulders. He held out his other arm to Matt, who came forward for a hug as well. After a long moment, he released both of them, stepping around them to face Near, who had hung back close to the door. He smiled, chewing slightly at the tip of his thumb, and said quietly, "Near?"

Near wavered a second, then stumbled quickly forward for a hug. L hugged him tightly, lifting the white-haired boy from his feet easily. He set him back down carefully, noting the cast and boot on Near's leg.

"You're all safe." he said softly, keeping one hand on Near's shoulder. "What happened?"

Near looked up, his onyx eyes sad. "I went back for my puzzle, and part of the ceiling fell on me. Mello and Matt came in and got me." He frowned, looking at the floor. "I didn't want to lose it."

L smiled wryly. "I would rather have all three of you safe than that puzzle. Toys can be replaced, Near."

Near nodded silently, then hugged L again. Mello and Matt joined the hug too, and L felt the hole in his heart heal a bit. Everything was going to be okay. They were going to be all right. And L really didn't give a damn that Light was in the room. He didn't know any of their names, and had no way to find out. They were safe. They were untouchable. Even the murder notebook couldn't get them.

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After introducing the three to the rest of the task force, conveniently neglecting to mention that they were heirs to the position of L, he showed them the rooms they would stay in. The rest of the task force accepted his story easily. They were his younger brothers, and had been living at the orphanage in England. He knew that Light didn't believe him, but it wasn't like he could tell anyone what he knew. Not without revealing that he was Kira.

He was watching them on the monitors, still in disbelief that they were actually _there_, when Light walked over, sitting down in the computer chair next to him.

Light pointed up at Near, who was carefully recreating London, England out of dice on the floor of the room. He was seated as uniquely as L himself, one leg pulled to his chest and the other almost folded against his side. "He's so much like you…" Light said quietly. "I didn't think there was anyone like you out there."

L nodded. "He is very bright. They all are."

"I could have sworn that one was a girl, before I heard his voice."

L chuckled slightly. "Mello would likely attack you for that. He despises it when people believe that of him. And Matt would likely back him up."

Light was silent, contemplating him a moment, before observing, "I didn't think it was possible for you to care for someone besides Watari. I certainly didn't think you had the patience to deal with children."

"They are the closest family I have. I will do everything in my power to keep them safe." L said. "In any case, they should be safe from Kira with me, isn't that right, Light-kun?" He smiled in that infuriating way of his that said _I'm baiting you on purpose to see your reaction_. Light, to his credit, remained completely impassive but for the flicker of anger that passed briefly through his eyes.

"Yes, Ryuzaki. I can't think of a safer place for them to be."

L blinked. _I wish with all my heart that he wasn't Kira. Even after everything that's happened, I don't want to believe it. But the evidence is irrefutable, even if the rest of the task force cannot see._ He swiveled his chair, moving to get a slice of cake from the kitchen. Light remained behind, watching the monitors in an almost fascinated way. Had he guessed? Did he know that these boys were L's heirs? L decided that it didn't matter. All he needed was to keep them safe. All he needed was one piece of evidence, and he could convict Light. Just one piece…

He turned to look at the boy sitting calmly by the computers. Striding back over, he flicked the monitors off. In answer to Light's questioning glance, he replied, "I wish to spend time with my family, and I would prefer that the task force not intrude upon that. There is no need to watch _me_, after all." He smiled at the brief expression that crossed Light's face, walking away towards the stairs. Light was such fun to antagonize, whether he was or was not Kira. L walked up the stairs slowly, careful not to drop his cake. His boys were as smart as he had told Light they were. Maybe their perspective could help him finally close this case.

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Well damn. This wasn't done last night like I hoped. It was midnight and I was too tired to finish. Oh well. My internet was acting up too. (frowns)

So, Near, Mello, and Matt have finally arrived at task force headquarters! What odd things will occur now, and will Light snap from the pressure of having four annoying geniuses all in one building? We can only hope. Maybe his head will explode from stress. That would be nice.

:)  
Li


	10. Musing

Chapter Ten: Musing

When L slouched into the room, Near did not react. He simply continued stacking his dice as though the one person he admired most had not just strolled into the room to sit on the bed and eat cake. There were three beds in the large room, simply because he, Mello, and Matt had gotten so used to all sleeping in the same room, they didn't think they'd be able to sleep at all without each others' presence. As far as Near could recall, Matt and Mello were in one of the rooms down the hall. Mello was watching TV and Matt was playing Gameboy. L didn't say anything for a long while, analyzing the city of dice between bites of cake. Finally, he tilted his head.

"Parliament?" he asked, indicating the building Near was currently working on.

Near nodded. "The clock tower will be difficult, but I'll do my best."

L seemed to accept this answer without worrying about hidden meanings, taking another bite of cake. "Near, why did you come to Japan?"

"I didn't know we were coming. Mello and Matt planned it out while they were fixing up my leg." Near replied. "Apparently Mello demanded it of Roger, and Roger couldn't refuse." He set another few dice on top, finishing off Parliament's roof. Then he began on Big Ben. "None of us would pass up an opportunity to see you, though. We wanted to be where you were. Nowhere else really felt safe."

L frowned. _Safe_. Was that really the proper word to use? Kira lurked just downstairs, and was probably using his L-free time to plot against them all. He took another bite of cake, watching Near as the boy built Big Ben from the ground up. No. Light couldn't do anything, Kira or not.

Near glanced up at him, his onyx eyes concerned. "But we're never safe, are we, L?"

L dodged the question, _god he's almost too smart_, and asked instead, "What did you think of the task force?"

Near shrugged. "At least they did not question our presence. That younger one, Matsuda, seems in shock that you have family. Aizawa and Ide appear not to care. Detective Yagami seems happy that you're feeling better. And Light Yagami seems stunned that you care so much about us."

_Dead-on, as usual, Near. Well done, from an analytical standpoint. But for this I really need to speak to Matt. He can read people like no one I have ever seen._ L thought. He had always seen the three of them as having complementary abilities. Near possessed the ability to think things through, and analyze the information into a complete picture. Mello had the willingness to act, and the charisma and presence to be a good leader. And Matt had people skills. He was likable, and good at communicating with others on a more personal level than Mello's commanding air. He also seemed to be able to read the emotions that people masked. Together, L reasoned that they could easily be better than him. But they were not accepting enough of each other, yet, and certainly were not ready for the world he lived in. He smiled at Near, saying only, "Yes… None of them really seemed to realize that there were people in this world that I really and truly cared for besides Watari."

Near frowned, suddenly sad. "I miss Watari. I wish I had gotten to see him one more time." He set down the die he had been holding, adding, "He was like our father."

L nodded in agreement, standing. He ruffled Near's hair lightly, asking softly, "Will you show me where Mello and Matt are? I want to speak with them as well."

Near abandoned the construction of London to show L the last place he had seen Mello and Matt. But when they reached the other room, they were surprised to find it empty.

"They're not here…"

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Light Yagami was sprawled in his computer chair, debating between plotting and simply pondering the enigma that was L. This was them, wasn't it? The adopted brothers that L had mentioned on that night so long ago. He thought over what he had learned from Watari. The English orphanage had been a school for the gifted, but it was more than that. They trained children to be the successor to L there. Were these three, Near, Mello, and Matt, L's successors? It made sense. The youngest, Near, was so much like L himself that it was almost frightening. And the other two, from what Light had seen, were equally brilliant. Even if that Mello kid did look like a girl…

He was jolted from his thoughts as he realized that two sets of bright eyes were watching him from across the room. He looked, his own brown eyes meeting cerulean and emerald as he took in the sight of Mello and Matt perched on the sofa across the room. He frowned.

"It's impolite to stare." he said flatly. "I guess L never taught you manners."

"Why is that L's job?" Mello shot back, smirking. "He's not our parent."

"Let me guess. You don't have parents. Just like him."

"Did he tell you that?"

"Sure. Why not?" Light mentally rolled his eyes. God did this kid have an attitude. Only three years younger than Light, according to L, and so much more immature.

Mello's smirk widened. "Are you L's friend?"

Light blinked. What the hell? "Uh, yeah." He wondered what this kid's aim was. Was this yet another interrogation?

The other one, Matt, had gone back to playing his Gameboy when the argument started. But now he looked up, saying softly, "You don't sound particularly sure of that."

Light glared at the redhead. He picked up his laptop, turning away. "Leave me alone. I need to work."

Mello grinned triumphantly. "Come on, Matt. Let's leave him to _work_." They trooped back up the stairs, leaving Light to seethe at the sarcasm. They ran into L in the hallway, and the older male frowned.

"Have you been causing trouble?" L asked quietly, giving nothing away. Mello eagerly recounted his conversation with Light. L listened intently, head tilted in interest. When Mello finished, he asked, "And what did you think of this?"

Matt spoke up then. "He is a very insincere person. He lies a lot, sometimes better than others." L smiled at the redhead, proud. That was what he had been looking for. Matt's ability to interpret people would be invaluable here.

"Well…" L said calmly, smiling in a mischievous way. "He really dislikes being annoyed. I would say, if you can do it inconspicuously, continue to antagonize him and judge his reactions. It could be important."

"You believe he is Kira." Near said quietly, coming out of the bedroom. Matt nodded in agreement with the youngest's statement.

L couldn't have been more proud of them. Completely at ease with the idea that the world's most dangerous serial killer was downstairs typing away on his laptop. He smiled almost sadly, nodding. "Yes. Be very careful, and do not reveal your true names to anyone. Do you understand?"

All three nodded. The game was on, now. Light's chess match was in for a rude awakening. Light's knights may be well-concealed, but L's knights were prepared now. This was no longer check. This was war. Light had forced it to war when he attacked Wammy's, and now the teenager would deal with the consequences.

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Pity. Light didn't realize how much of a pain those kids would be. Wammy!fluff, I love it! Near is too adorable for his own good. (Although he can be quite the little bastard in the manga when he wants to be.) So L's back in the game. Don't worry, though. Light's still got a trick or two up his sleeve. Maybe next chapter. Maybe the chapter after. Who knows? It all depends.

I see Matt's ability as people skills. He's perceptive to how people are feeling. Mostly, this was inspired by the fact that everyone loves him when he is probably the least-mentioned main character ever. Yay for gamers!

Now, with this, I should be back on my normal updating schedule. Hurrah!

Li


	11. Leading

Chapter Eleven: Leading

Light had decided something very important. He _could not stand_ those children! It was the equivalent of having four different versions of Ryuzaki, all in different moods. Mello embodied his sarcasm and annoyingly antagonistic nature, Matt modeled his complete indifference to everything about the world around him… And that creepy Near, who could have been Ryuzaki's _clone_, who would just sit there and stare at him with wide onyx eyes until he looked away. That was what bothered Light the most. They all _stared_ at him, every opportunity that they got. He assumed Ryuzaki had told them about his suspicions, and now they all thought he was Kira too. Just what he needed. Insane genius children following his every move too. At least they slept normal hours.

He needed to bring this to a close, soon. He would really prefer not to have to kill the task force, but it was looking more and more likely with every passing day. If L had any form of backup at all, things could end very badly. He needed L completely alone, with no aid waiting in the wings. That way, everything could proceed as planned. Light wanted to laugh. L had handed him yet another weapon by bringing his successors here. Yes, he had determined that they were L's heirs. Who else would be so close to the anti-social recluse that was L? And with the abilities they had, it was the only logical conclusion. He wished he knew their weaknesses like he knew L's. L's weakness was his family, and Light would exploit that to its' fullest potential.

Misa, Mikami, and Takada were back from their respective trips. The cuts should have healed over by now. They were instructed to cut shallowly, because it wouldn't do for them to scar. They would be found and traced back to him. But if they were healed by now, it would be safe for Misa to return to headquarters. And the final stage of his plan could begin. Everything was leading to this denouement, his ultimate triumph over L. Everything was in place, except for what to do about the other detectives… His own father…

Light looked around. Apparently it was Matt's turn to disturb him while working. Not that the redhead actually did anything, since he sat and played Gameboy the entire time. But his very presence, and the sense that he could read Light like an open book, was disturbing. Light glared at him a moment, until Matt looked up from his game, smiling as he continued pressing buttons without looking at the screen. Emerald green met chocolate brown for a moment, and Matt's grin widened, before he immediately went back to his game.

"No… die! Stupid ghost thing…" he muttered absently, pressing the buttons even faster with little clicks to accompany each press. Light wanted to groan in frustration, but resisted the urge. He went back to pretending to work and plotting, intently ignoring the eyes boring into his back.

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Matt smiled to himself as he went back to killing whatever unfortunate monster he had happened upon. This guy… It was so obvious. He was constantly disturbed by their presence, and seemed to spend an abnormal amount of time thinking to himself. If it had been L, Matt would have passed it off as normal behavior. But this guy was too perfectly normal for the amount of time he spent thinking. It could only mean he was plotting against them.

Matt thought about how to organize the impression he was getting into something rational. Light Yagami held so many underlying layers of emotion, it was difficult to classify it all. There was annoyance, a sense of not knowing what to do, and worry about the fact that he felt that way. There was anger, mostly directed towards them and L. There was also a glow, a sense of triumph, as if something were going his way. Matt was wary of that final emotion. If he was Kira, and he was feeling triumph, that was probably something to worry about.

He left the main room, trekking back up to report his findings to L. He found his raven-headed brother on the roof, staring off into the distance of the Tokyo skyline. After repeating everything he had concluded, he sat down next to L. They were on one of the aerial platforms, up above the roof itself. It was thrilling to be up so high, with only the thin metal railing keeping them inside the boundaries of the platform. Matt wasn't a thrill-seeker like Mello, preferring to find his adventure inside games. One day, he'd like to own a fast sports car. But despite that, there was a kind of rush sitting up here with L. It wasn't like he got a lot of time alone with his adopted brother, being only third in line.

"Thank you, Matt." L said quietly, his eyes never leaving the horizon. "With that, we can conclude that Kira will move in the next few days. We should be ready, I suppose."

"L, you sound sad." Matt said without thinking. He immediately covered his mouth, reaching up to fidget with the goggles around the top of his head.

L glanced at him, his obsidian eyes bottomless. "I do not want to believe the truth, Matt. I don't want to believe he's Kira, because he's the only friend I ever had. He seems so… normal. He doesn't seem capable of murder, or attacking children…"

Matt nodded. "But we know it's false."

L sighed. "Yes." He stood up, climbing down to the roof and motioning to Matt. "Come on. We should go in. It's getting cold." Matt followed him down.

"It's a pity we have no real leads." the redhead said, thinking out loud. "If he had friends, or something…"

L stopped stock-still. Friends.

_Who were you e-mailing, Light-kun?_

_My friend from college, Mikami. He's a lawyer. He's going to England for a lecture. _

_England… __**England**_**…**

Matt was startled when L dashed past him into the building. It was getting late, and everyone would be starting to go home. But he could research this Mikami person on his own. This could be the proof he needed! This could be the final nail in Light's long-due coffin. Everything might turn out for the best after all.

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Sorry, L. You're just a bit too late… (pets L) I love you, though. Short chapter everyone. Sorry. But lots of Matt, since he really didn't get enough time in the book. Being third in line and all, he should have a a bit bigger role, ne? And for the record, the aerial platform is like the one L sits on in the anime when they're doing the building thing. Episode... 15?

Next chapter is the one we've all been waiting for, the confrontation between Light and L. Light brings his final weapon, L brings his knowledge of Light being Kira, and we have a face-off that will shake the whole building! Wahoo!

See you all tomorrow… (evil grin)  
Li


	12. Feelings Within

Chapter Twelve: Feelings Within

L stayed up all night, trying to find anything he could about Teru Mikami. He was a young lawyer, just out of college, living on his own in an apartment. He met his girlfriend, Kiyomi Takada, during college, and she was currently a senior. Just a year or two older than Light. There was nothing in either of their backgrounds that suggested that they would do something as horrible as become Kira's generals, but both _were_ Kira supporters. They had taken part in several private debates, always taking Kira's side. They believed he was doing the world a favor. They believed he was justice.

L seethed quietly. Justice indeed. In a world where a mass murderer could become justice, something was terribly, terribly wrong. He picked another cherry from the bowl beside the computer, chewing it almost angrily. For once, he wished that Light was not as intelligent as him. It would make catching Kira a whole lot easier.

Said mass-murderer was currently sitting across the room, glancing at the clock. L pondered the action, before catching himself. Now he was just being paranoid. Light was probably just checking to see when they could stop for lunch. The rest of the task force worked quietly. Matsuda was talking to Ide as they sorted through reports, and Chief Yagami and Aizawa were researching. Near, Matt, and Mello were sitting around on the sofas, engaging in their respective habits. The room could almost be considered peaceful, if L couldn't feel the tension generated from _knowing_ that the killer was in their midst.

Light finally stood up, saying easily, "Everyone? May I speak to Ryuzaki in private?"

They looked at him oddly. Light smiled charmingly, continuing, "I have a piece of information that I would like to share, but I would prefer that Ryuzaki hears it first. If you go wait in the meeting room, we will come and share after I have told him." The task force looked puzzled, but complied without protest, trooping out to head to the small meeting room down the hall. It was essentially a room with a large round table, so they could all sit facing each other. L rarely used it.

L watched them go, an odd feeling coiling in his stomach. Didn't they _see_? Couldn't they _tell_? He watched Light turn, saying to him in that calm, convincing voice, "Please, can we go somewhere else? I really don't trust them not to eavesdrop." L's heart sank, and he glanced at the children sitting in the corner. Light saw the direction of his gaze and added, "They can stay here. They'll be fine."

And, really, what could L do but follow Light up the stairs? The kids didn't appear to react, but L knew they were considering the possibilities. As their mentor, their older brother, left their sight, Near whispered, "Something's wrong."

The door slid open, then, admitting Misa.

"Liiiiight! Misa is here to see you!" She looked around eagerly, and, not seeing Light, pouted. "I missed him. Oh, well!" She flounced over to sit in Light's chair, obviously intending to wait for him to return. The remaining three in the room were not perturbed at all, having seen the blonde model come and go many times. They did begin to worry when two more people, this time ones they didn't know, entered as well.

"Who are you?!" Mello demanded loudly, standing up. Matt stood as well, watching carefully.

"L doesn't allow strangers in the building, Misa-san." he said, trying to be polite.

Misa smiled. "But they aren't strangers! Mikami and Takada are Light and my good friends!" She appeared delighted at the looks that suddenly appeared on their faces. Without a second to spare, Mello was away from the couch, running towards the door at the top of the stairs.

"L!!!" he yelled. Misa giggled, pressing the emergency button on the monitor bank that locked down the investigation room. It was a safety precaution, in case anyone actually managed to infiltrate the building, but it was equally as effective at keeping people in. Mello hit the emergency door as it slammed shut, banging against it uselessly.

"Dammit!" he cried, at the same moment Near hissed, "_Kira_."

"Smart kid." Mikami said calmly, taking the ebony notebook from inside of his jacket, his eyes glinting red. "Allow me to tell you, that while Misa-san has lost her Shinigami eyes, I possess the eyes as well. Do as we tell you, and we won't have to hurt you. Do you understand, Nate, Mail, Mihael?"

All three paled. They hadn't counted on something like this. Slowly they nodded. With their cooperation, Mikami put the Death Note away. The first thing he had them do was to have Matt explain to the rest of the task force, who were in somewhat of a panic, that Misa had slipped and pressed the button by accident, and that an hour had to elapse before the password to end the lockdown could be entered. Which _was _the truth. The task force accepted the story easily, trusting Matt's voice through the thick steel door, and Mikami resisted the urge to laugh. Stupid fools, going against his Kami. They would see…

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L trailed after Light to a room on one of the upper floors. He stood silently as Light locked the door, already having figured out what was happening. This was endgame, wasn't it? L could only hope that Near, Mello, and Matt would forgive him for not acting sooner. He figured he would die here, alone with Light, and that would be checkmate.

Light turned around and met his eyes, smiling in that wicked way that L had gotten so used to. The emotion in his eyes was clear. _Victory_.

L stood as straight as he could, looking his murderer clear in the eyes. "Kira." he said softly, no emotion in his voice at all. Light smirked.

"You knew all along, didn't you, L?" he breathed. "You knew, but you had no proof. You _still_ have no proof. If you were to go to the task force now and tell them everything I've said, they would simply think that you've resorted to making things up to prove that I'm Kira." He stepped forward. "You're trapped, L."

L refused to step back, refused to show fear to the _child_ before him. A child who possessed the deadliest weapon in history. He stood calmly, hiding the fear he really felt, and murmured, "I am not trapped. My brothers will believe me."

"Really?" Light asked. "I suppose it's a pity that Misa is down there with them now. And she let Mikami and Takada in."

L's eyes widened. "It was Mikami and Takada." he breathed, wonderingly. A small smile appeared on his lips. "I was _right_…"

Light shook his head. "That doesn't change the fact that Mikami has the Shinigami eyes to see a person's name, as well as the other Death Note. He will kill them if you try anything." The teenager held up his cell phone. "All it takes is a phone call."

L had to fight to keep from shaking. Light had thought of everything. Light knew his one weakness. Light had been the one to order the attack on Wammy's. Light had killed Watari. There was only one question left in L's mind. "How? _How?_"

Light laughed. "You yourself told me, L. I got my memories back when I touched Higuchi's Death Note. But before that, on the evening of Matsuda's birthday, you were drunk enough to tell me everything I asked. It was a purely innocent question at the time, but with my memories… You mentioned Wammy's House. I researched it, found Watari's real name, and manipulated him to tell me the rest. It was almost pathetically easy."

L remembered that night. Had he really…? He couldn't remember. But then it was undeniably true. And it was also true that Light without his memories was truly Light Yagami, with no Kira left in him. Light Yagami, L's first and only friend. But that Light was gone now, and only Kira stood in his place. L found himself saying, in a completely dead voice, "So you called the attacks on the houses…"

Light smiled. "Yes." he said simply.

What was left of L's fragile self-control shattered. His expression twisted into one of pain, and his whispered, barely audible, "Then you knew… all along… and you still…" He raised his voice, the sound escaping in a sob of pure grief. "You murdered children! You knew Russia and Virginia were no threat to you, and you went after them anyway! _Children_! How could you, Light? Are you really that heartless!?!"

Light laughed. "I was willing to do what it took to break you. And I succeeded."

L stared at him, wide eyes glimmering with loss, horror, and sadness. "I… I can't believe…" He dropped to his knees, reaching up to grab weakly at his hair. "I didn't think you would… If this is Justice, then this world is a _horrible_ place…" He stared up at Light, tears finally spilling over. "Are you _happy_ now? You have taken everything there is to take! Everything important to me! All I have left is my brothers! And you will take them from me too! And when I have nothing left but my life… You will kill me!" he cried.

Light knelt in front of him. "No, L. I will not kill you. You will see my world become the utopia it is destined to. But your brothers' lives are insurance. You will not chase me anymore. Make an excuse to the others; any excuse will do. Stand aside and let me create my new world, and you and your family will be spared."

A flicker of defiance passed through L's eyes, but it was drowned away by sadness. He was helpless in this situation. His brothers' lives were in jeopardy, and his hands were tied. He deliberated a long moment, before finally bowing his head in defeat. Without looking at Light, he spoke the two words he had sworn no one would ever hear, least of all Kira.

"I surrender."

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What can I say? In a chapter named after Chapter 58 (yes, _that_ one), you could not expect anything good…

More next chapter…  
Li


	13. Denouement

Chapter Thirteen: Denouement

Misa swung her feet from the computer chair, bored out of her wits.

"It's taking Light sooooo long!" she whined. "How long could this possibly take?"

Mikami glanced at the boys, who were seated silently on the couch. He then looked at the blonde model, saying, "We don't know how defiant L could be. It's only been ten minutes, Misa. Kami will take as much time as he needs." He fingered the edge of the Death Note, tucked under his jacket. He smiled to himself.

Misa wandered over to stare down at their 'prisoners'. She looked them over once, asking sarcastically, "How could any of you care about L? He doesn't care about anything but his silly sweets and his work!"

Near's eyes were flat and blank, but a spark of mischief glittered in their depths. He peered up at Misa, asking in a bored voice, "How can you love Kira? All he cares about is his Death Note and his 'work'." The bite at the end made it equal in sarcasm to Misa's comment, and she turned red.

"Brat!" she cried, kicking him in his cast. He recoiled with a soft gasp, pulling his leg to his chest, and Matt grabbed Mello to stop him from leaping at Misa. The blond struggled a moment, then sat back on the couch in a huff. He glanced at Near, mouthing silently _Are you okay?_

_I'm fine._ Near mouthed back. All three had learned lip-reading from L.

Takada laid a hand on Misa's arm. "Yagami-kun said not to hurt them, remember? He said L would never cooperate if they were hurt." Misa frowned, but nodded. Matt stared at them, thinking hard. He reached over and squeezed Near's hand. When the white-haired boy looked at him, he mouthed, _Kira isn't going to kill L._

_I know. He wants him to surrender._

_L wouldn't, would he?_

_…I don't know._

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Light stared down at L, unable to believe what he had just heard. L had surrendered. L, on his knees before him, had surrendered. Even kneeling at the raven-head's side, Light still wasn't sure he'd heard properly. But when L didn't pop up with an obnoxiously innocent 'That was a test, Yagami-kun,' he knew that it was really happening. He stood up, leaving L sit where he was, and indulged in a moment of silent joy and triumph.

"Light-kun…" L whispered. Light turned to look at him. L stared fixedly at the carpet, saying only, "Let them go."

Light understood what he meant. He pulled out his phone, dialing a number briefly. "Everything went as planned… Yes… Go on and leave before the task force catches your presence. The password is 'Giustizia'… yes, I know it sounds weird. Now, a question. What are their names? ...All right… Yes…" Light hung up, smiling evilly at L. "Mikami and Takada are on their way out. But I have their names now, as well as the other Death Note, so don't think that this changes anything."

L said nothing. Light reached out a hand, helping L to his feet before asking softly, "One more thing, L…" He waited until L actually looked at him before continuing, "I want to know your real name."

L frowned. "I suppose if I refuse, you will kill my brothers." he stated emotionlessly.

Light raised an eyebrow. "You said it, not me." L sighed.

"Lawliet." He spoke almost inaudibly. "My name is Lawliet."

Light blinked, taking it all in. He finally had a name to go with this side of L. Ryuzaki had vanished in the helicopter. The last traces of L had washed away in the rain. And all that was left… was _Lawliet_. He suddenly laughed out loud. L stared at him in confusion, and Light chuckled at his expression. "Was that really so bad, L?" he asked in a kind of mocking glee. L's expression spoke volumes. One could practically feel the hatred radiating from him, all of it directed at Light. Said mass-murderer only smiled, feeling his victory was complete. "Well, I suppose you'd better go see your 'brothers'. Tell them anything you like. But if any of you does anything suspicious… one of you is dead."

L nodded silently. He followed Light back down to the investigation room, where Misa proceeded to throw herself at her 'boyfriend'. Light fought her off carefully, telling her that he didn't have time for a date because something had come up. She left, still remaining in good spirits despite being refused, and Light announced to the room, "I'm going to speak to everyone else. I'll be back in a little bit."

L noticed the eyes of his protégés following Light's every move, hatred glimmering deep within. He walked over to them as Light left the room, sitting down in his usual position on the edge of the other sofa. He stared at them for a moment, and then sighed. "I'm sorry." He sat back until he was actually sitting against the back of the sofa, though his knees remained pulled close to his chest.

Near got up, moving around the small table to sit beside L, leaning on the older one's shoulder. L wrapped one arm around him, without saying anything. Near was not fond of being touched, but L, along with Matt and Mello, was one of the few exceptions to the rule.

"You were right. _We_ were right." Matt said. "Kira."

L nodded. "He would have killed you. I could not allow that."

Near looked up at L, eyes of two different shades of black meeting. Understanding passed between them, and Near sighed. "We're trapped. He knows all our names now. He could kill us at any moment, and we wouldn't know until it was too late."

L nodded. "I couldn't let him kill you. I couldn't lose anyone else. But this was all a giant chess match to Light Yagami… and I've lost."

"There has to be something we can do!" Mello cried. "We can't just sit here and wait from him to get bored and kill us!" The fiery blond's temper was ignited. "There has to be a way to stop him!"

L took a deep breath. "If we were to try and stop him, it would have to be without him realizing what we were doing. He has already stated that if I try to stand against him, he will kill one of you in retaliation. And I am sure that if he catches one of you doing anything, he will kill you indiscriminately." His arm tightened around Near. "Whatever we do, your safety is my main priority."

They all stared at the detective in wonder. They had never understood how deep his affection for them ran; after all, he was L and spent most of his time on his work. But now it was clear to them. They really were family. No matter how much Near and Mello fought, or how distant L could be, they were all each other had. Roger was working to rebuild the Wammy's Houses, but they would never be the same. They all knew that.

L was staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. "Of course, the safest thing would be to send you all back to England."

"No!" Mello shouted. "We won't! We're staying here with you!"

Matt nodded in agreement. "It doesn't matter where we are; he has our names regardless. Don't send us away again."

L regarded them for a long moment. Then a slow smile spread across his face. "I thought you would say that. Don't worry, I will not make you leave." Mello and Matt mirrored his smile. "Mihael Keehl, Mail Jeevas, Nate River… We will find a way to stop Kira."

All three smiled, happy. It had been so long since they had heard their real names out loud. And coming from L, it was even better. It was a symbol of how much danger they were in, because it showed that their enemy knew their names and secrets no longer mattered, but it was also an endearment. A symbol of trust. Mello sat up, looking almost hesitant for a moment, and added to the list, "L Lawliet."

L's eyes widened the smallest fraction, but he merely asked calmly, "Who told you, Mello?" Near and Matt were staring in awe, first at Mello, then at L. They had never heard L's real name spoken before.

Mello smirked, then. "Beyond told me, right before he left. A gift."

L rolled his eyes. Of course. _Dearest_ Beyond Birthday, more trouble than he was worth. He smiled at Mello, saying, "It's all right. It no longer matters with regard to Kira, but you have to keep it a secret in all other instances."

They nodded solemnly. It lingered like a promise between them. They would find a way out of this, and they would catch Kira. They were certain.

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The password to the lockdown is 'justice' in Italian. : )

So, very many of you were... how to put this... in quite a mood after last chapter. PsychoCookie called me evil 136 times in one review alone. I guess I'm rather proud of myself, for getting such a reaction. Heh.

I got FIFTY REVIEWS!!!! I've never gotten fifty reviews for ANYTHING!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS! God, I'm almost scared now to betray your expectations of me! (melts into puddle of complete and utter joy)

Light's quite the bastard, ne? I want Good Light back. The one with no memories.  
Li


	14. Aftermath

Chapter Fourteen: Aftermath

Work all but came to a standstill the rest of that day. L had dismissed the task force early, telling them that he needed an opportunity to pursue a lead on his own. Light had let him. He stayed, despite his father's attempts to coax him to come home. He needed to keep an eye on L, to make sure he didn't try anything.

L knew that this was the only reason Light stayed. And so he acted in some semblance of normalcy. He made chocolate chip pancakes for himself and Mello for dinner, while Matt and Near had sandwiches. They were not fond of sugary foods or chocolate like L and Mello. Light had been silent, but interested, since he had never known L could cook. Dishes were left in the sink, L played chess with Near, and Light's presence was determinedly ignored. The teenager was left to occupy himself checking up on Mikami, Misa, and Takada. He would have resented the fact that L was ignoring him, once upon a time, but now that he knew the extent of the emotional damage he had done, he supposed it was normal.

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L focused intently on the chessboard. Near was good, almost up to L or Light's skill level. It took a moment to work out his next move, but he eventually decided and robbed Near of one of his bishops. His duel with Kira had ended up much like a chess match, each moving to attempt to take the other's pieces and achieve checkmate. Currently, L considered himself in check. It wasn't checkmate, however much Light thought it was, because L still had moves left. He had his knight, his rook, and his bishop, and could easily turn the entire game around. But that would require sacrificing pieces, and unlike real chess, L was unwilling to sacrifice these particular pieces just to win the game. It was more like stalemate, since one side was unwilling to move; almost as though the game were on 'pause'.

Near moved his knight, taking L's queen and getting himself out of check, and smiled. "Yes." he exalted quietly. He had never managed to take L's queen before. Without the most versatile piece on the board, surely…

L moved his rook, taking Near's knight. "Checkmate."

Near's eyes widened, and he glanced frantically across the board. Damn it! The queen had been a trap, to lure his knight to the correct position. Without the knight, he had nothing to counter the check.

He smiled wryly up at L. "I'm not good enough, yet."

"Keep trying." L said quietly. "You're getting better." He looked up at Light, who was sitting across the room at one of the computers, and called, "Do you want to play, Light-kun?"

Light stared at him oddly a moment before replying, "No, thank you, Ryuzaki," and going back to whatever he had been doing. L smirked. If Light thought that he would treat him differently, just because he knew the boy was Kira, he had another thing coming. Acting as though nothing had happened was a necessary coping mechanism, as well as a tactic to throw Light off.

Light finally closed the laptop, sighing and standing up. "I'm going to bed." He walked away up the stairs, and L frowned. He had expected to be stared at until all of them went to bed, but apparently Light favored sleep more. Near looked up from cleaning up the chess set, asking near-silently, "What are we going to do?"

L looked thoughtful. "He himself will not fail. Other people will have to slip up to lead to his downfall." He grabbed a pawn that was rolling away, holding it up between his thumb and index finger. "Most likely Misa or Takada will make a mistake. We cannot do anything on our own, but if the task force were to pick up on anything odd…" They were purposefully speaking in low voices, but L walked over and flicked the switch that turned off all the cameras. He'd turn them back on when their discussion was over.

Matt came over, slipping his Gameboy into the pocket of his jacket. "The task force's problem is that they don't want to believe that Light Yagami could possibly be Kira. I've listened to them. They talk like there's no suspicion placed on him at all."

L rolled his eyes. "It is mostly his father and Matsuda-san. Ide-san and Aizawa-san appear to harbor at least some small suspicion." He walked over to retrieve a bowl of marshmallows, eating a few and continuing with his mouth full, "I think they see as I do; he's _too_ perfect."

Mello chomped into a chocolate bar, devouring it violently. "Goddamned bastard." And somehow, that single vehement declaration mirrored what they were all thinking, despite the wording.

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Light sat up in his room, carefully planning his next move. Mikami was carrying out Kira's judgment now, and Misa was taking care of the other Death Note, but not using it. It would be too much suspicion on her. Even the fools on the task force might start to notice. L _knew_, but as Light had planned, there was nothing he could do about it. Not without sacrificing both his brother's lives and his own. Light chuckled. Next, with no opposition, it would be a simple matter to show the world Kira's true might. He was one step closer to a perfect world, and the day that no one opposed him any longer was the day that he could reveal himself to the world, and take his true place as God.

Of course, he could never reveal the Death Note. Better to allow the world to believe that he could merely kill with a thought, or a wish. To compare with Greek mythology, he was as Zeus, with his mighty thunderbolts. If that was the case, the Death Note represented Hephaestus. The smith-god made the thunderbolts possible, but was never really considered alongside Zeus. No, best to keep the Death Note a secret, and reign with the might of his unknown power.

He was not particularly worried about the detective and his protégés downstairs. He knew L wouldn't do anything that could endanger their lives; that was why he had felt okay leaving them alone. And if they _were_ planning, let them plan to their hearts content. He had their lives in the palm of his hand.

He decided to amuse himself then, considering which to kill in the event that L did decide to be rebellious. There was that creepy little one, Near, who was almost as smart as L himself, and equally dangerous. There was Matt, who had some kind of unique ability to unnerve Light simply by being in the same room, as if he could see straight through any mask Light chose to wear. And then there was Mello, who was just damn annoying. Any one of them would be a relief to have gone, but it would only make the other two worse, no matter who he picked.

Light sighed. That only applied if L did anything to try and expose him, which Light was practically certain he wouldn't. If there was a plan, there would be no way to keep it hidden. The only way would be to have it be so subtle it wasn't really a plan at all…

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So, the aftermath. I personally enjoyed the fact that they are ignoring Light on purpose. And Mello is always fun. : )

L's Chess Analogy: Mello Knight, Matt Rook, Near Bishop

Light's still a bastard. Let's face it. Even the Light fans have to admit, he is a cold-hearted ass at times, yes?

I love all of you! Hope I'm a little less evil. There is a not-plan, sorta... I promise!  
Li


	15. Subtlety?

Chapter Fifteen: Subtlety?

Light walked into the investigation room at 8:00 a.m. the next morning and found Matt up to his elbows in computer wires from the main computer bank. He immediately walked over, asking, "What are you doing?" in a loud voice. Matt glanced up at him, then went back to readjusting wires.

"I'm reconfiguring the wireless internet connect so that my PSP can pick up Wi-fi from the building." he replied calmly. "I want to play the online portion of my new game."

Light flicked the switch that killed all the security cameras. He reached down, grabbing Matt's shoulder and pulling the younger boy to look him in the eyes. "Be careful." he warned. "Don't think you can get away with messing with the computer systems. If anything goes wrong, I know who to blame."

Matt frowned behind his goggles. "Calm down, _Kira-san_. I'm not hurting your precious computers. Check for yourself." He reconnected everything, closing the panel and screwing it back into place. He scooped his PSP off Light's computer chair, retreating to the sofa and turning it on. He was silent a moment, sorting through menus, and finally exclaimed, "Sweet! It works!" He settled into gaming oblivion, and Light sat down and ran a thorough check on the computer. There were no changes in the programming, except for the alterations made to the wireless server. He doubted a fourteen-year-old boy could do anything too bad to his computer system without a trace somewhere, so he relaxed. He turned the security cameras back on. He didn't really want them on at all, but the task force still insisted on watching the tapes of everything that happened when they weren't around. The only places where they weren't on were the bedrooms.

Matt wasn't even pretending to watch him, Light noticed. He was honestly and completely absorbed into the game. For once, Light managed to settle down to work without the uncomfortable feeling that the redhead was seeing his every thought. It was a glorious feeling.

Somewhere, beyond the hazy world of games and tiny light-up screens, Matt smiled wickedly. White's move.

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It was lunchtime, and Light walked into the kitchen to find Near pacing around the large kitchen table in the middle of the room.

"What are you doing?" he asked, retrieving a ham sandwich from the fridge.

Near glanced at him, his large onyx eyes flat and unreadable. "Nothing life-threatening." Whose life, he did not say.

Light frowned. Near revealed a small smile, adding, "But I will tell you. I'm practicing walking better in this thing." He indicated the boot that made it possible for him to walk on his cast without crutches. "So, you have no reason to worry about me."

Smart kid, playing nice for the camera, making it look as though Light was merely concerned about his safety. Light smirked, saying only, "Well, look out for yourself. I would hate it if you ended up hurt." A subtly veiled threat: _Don't do anything that would provoke me to kill you._

Near nodded easily. "I'll be careful."

Light took his sandwich back to the investigation room, leaving Near to his pacing. It was almost unnerving. The boy never really showed an inclination to walk anywhere, preferring to sit and play with his toys, rarely moving from place to place. This in comparison to Mello, who wandered the building like a restless spirit. Seeing him actually make an effort to walk around seemed strange to Light, but he passed it off as Near being a clone of Ryuzaki, the KING of strange.

In the kitchen, Near hopped into a chair, swinging his feet. His mobility in the cast was steadily improving. This was good, very good. He smiled to himself, his eyes alight with joy. Black's move.

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Sometime mid-afternoon, Mello was walking though the investigation room, one hand in his pocket. He was clutching a scrap of paper that Matt had passed him in the hallway. It detailed out exactly what they needed. Matt had already spoken to Near, and Mello had to find L.

Light was researching something, looking for any news from the aftermath of the attacks on the houses. If there were any loose ends, he wanted to tie them up now, before suspicions could arise. He noticed Mello walking rather calmly, an unusual thing for the blond thunderstorm. He frowned, calling out to the other, "Where are you going, Mello?"

He expected to have the full force of Hurricane Mello unleashed upon him, but the fifteen-year-old's response surprised him. "Going to find L. Matt asked me where he was, something about a shorted cord for his stupid PSP…" Mello muttered. Light had never heard him speak so quietly the entire time he'd known the boy. He shot Mello a puzzled look, and Mello smiled as he continued upstairs.

He found L on the roof, yet again. It seemed to be the detective's new favorite spot. He walked up beside him, saying in a wry voice, "Hey L, Matt's had an idea. Want to learn a new code?"

L glanced up, tilting his head questioningly and nodding. Mello grinned, sitting down beside him and holding out the paper. White's move.

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Light was really starting to wonder what the heck was going on in the headquarters. It was Saturday, so no one else had come in, but the people who were there were acting _weird_! He had just seen L, as the sugar-addict was on his way to the kitchen, and the detective had been _humming_! What the hell? That was something… that L just did not normally do. When the detective returned, he sat down at his computer, cake held delicately on a plate in one hand, outright singing under his breath by then. Light paused in his typing to listen, as L mumbled the lyrics carefully, at a volume perfectly calculated so no one would hear, especially if they weren't paying attention. But Light was paying attention.

"Delusional, I believe I can cure it all for you, dear…" Light didn't recognize the song, but he continued to listen anyway. "Coax or trick or drive or… drag the demons from you… Make it right for you… Sleeping Beauty…" Light bit his lip at that, trying not to laugh. He had never taken L to be a fairy-tale type of person, but he then saw the look. L was peering at him from the corner of his eye as he sang softly, almost as though he meant the words to mean something. Light flinched. _L sees Kira as a demon, doesn't he? He'd give anything to have the old Light Yagami back, hmmm? Sorry, L, you can't exorcise the demons when the demon is the person itself. I am Kira, and Kira is me._ He resumed listening, intrigued in spite of himself.

"…Truly thought… I could magically heal you… You're far beyond a visible sign of your awakening… Failing miserably to rescue…" L trailed off as he noticed that Light was no longer typing. "Something wrong, Light-kun?"

Light started. "No, I'm fine." he replied automatically. He resumed typing, grumbling to himself. Was it National Act Like a Freak Day, and he missed it? Although, for the four wackos he had to deal with, it only made them freakier. L humming and singing to himself, and such a song stuffed with hidden meanings, was certainly the oddest thing he had ever seen, though Mello acting civil was a close second. Light could only wonder if their weirdness was finally getting to them. Maybe they had all snapped.

L only smiled to himself, knowing the cause of Light's distress.

Red's move.

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Three-way chess is fun. It's like normal chess, but you play with fewer pieces and three sides of the board. The easiest way to win is to have two people gang up on the other, and when that person gets out, move on to defeat each other. (I just made it up now, actually. I've never really tried to play it.) In case you couldn't tell, Mello and Matt are black, Near and L are white, and Kira's red. (duh)

The song L is singing is 'Sleeping Beauty' by A Perfect Circle. Totally inspired by Go-Devil-Dante on deviantart. It's not a random moment, either. It all has a purpose!

Li


	16. Closer

Chapter Sixteen: Closer

It Saturday, a week later, when things finally started to get interesting. It was mid-November, fresh flurries of snow drifted lazily from the sky, and cheer was evident all around. Christmas was not as important in Japan as in other parts of the world, but an overall touch of Yuletide bliss seemed to settle over the city despite the holiday itself being over a month and a half away.

Light glanced at L, who was seated at his computer typing away furiously, and asked with genuine curiosity, "What on earth are you doing, L?"

L paused for only a moment. "Working, Light-kun." This answer didn't satisfy Light, who repeated his question. L sighed, turning away from the computer to face him. "If Light-kun must know, it is a gift. Having grown up in Europe, Christmas is an important part of our year. Near requests a fictional mystery story to solve each Christmas, and I must begin early to make it challenging enough for him. I hope you can respect our celebration." L smiled wryly. "Or will you take that from us as well, Light-kun?"

Light scowled at L, who merely grinned innocently and resumed typing. Light glanced at his screen and read a few lines, just to make sure L was telling the truth. He was, from all appearances, and Light didn't bother to look any closer. He went back to watching TV absently, only to be disturbed not ten seconds later as the three children came storming in, one yelling at the top of his voice.

"Why do you have to be such a brat, Near?!" Mello demanded loudly. Near was looking impassive as usual, but there was a gleam in his eyes that showed he was ready to retaliate.

"All I said was that Mello's chocolate addiction is distinctly unhealthy, and that eventually his weight might become an issue. I do not see how that is insulting in the least." Near said, with the same perfectly-calculated innocence as L. Mello turned red, and you could literally see the steam coming from his ears.

"You are INSUFFERABLE!" Mello howled. "You obnoxious little brat, you probably eat your damn toys for all we really know!"

"Mello!" L snapped suddenly. The cursing had registered, drawing the detective out of the world of whatever he was writing. Mello bowed his head, embarrassed to have been caught by L. Matt reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, Mello. Let's go play Guitar Hero." the gamer suggested. Mello looked back and forth between him and Near, with a quick glance at L for good measure, and yielded reluctantly.

"Screw you, Near." he muttered irritably, careful not to let L hear. He followed the red-head upstairs, to take out his frustration on the Guitar Hero controller. Near came over to sit beside L, blank as usual.

"Mello seems upset with you." L commented, carefully hiding his word document in the start bar so Near wouldn't see it.

"Mello is clever." Near replied. "He does the best imitation of himself."

L swiftly glanced at Light, who was reduced to a vegetable in front of the TV, watching a Lingo marathon on the Game Show Network. He had long since given up playing along, since he always figured out the answer before the contestants anyway. L looked back at Near, nodding slightly to tell him that he understood.

_The whole thing had been an act_. An elaborate show, probably for Light's benefit. This was the beautiful part about their plan. It wasn't really a plan at all. They knew what the end result had to be, but how they got there was separate for each. And because they didn't know what each other was doing, Light couldn't figure out that they were plotting against him, because they really weren't.

L knew deep in his heart that he didn't want anything to happen to Light. He didn't want the boy executed, and he didn't want him locked in prison for the rest of his life. If his deductions were correct, if he could just get rid of all the Death Notes, the real Light would come back. Misa Amane could go back to being a normal Light-obsessed model, and Teru Mikami and Kiyomi Takada could resume their normal lives as well. No one would have to be punished for Kira's wrongdoings.

But that would never be accepted. Interpol would want someone punished, even if that person could no longer remember that they had committed a crime. Kira's fate was practically sealed, whether L wished it or not.

He looked down at Near, who was doing a Rubik's Cube with the abilities of those who set world records. Smiling in fond amusement, he said softly, "Don't let him get to you, Near. It's all going to turn out fine in the end. But maybe you shouldn't talk to him about his chocolate anymore."

Near never took his eyes off the Rubik's Cube. "But it's unhealthy."

"I know, but leave him be." L reached for a piece of toffee from the small candy bowl next to his computer. Near followed it with his eyes, and L added, "You never try to talk _me_ out of eating candy."

"You wouldn't listen, and would just say something about how it helps you think." Near retorted, turning the last of the cube's corners into place.

"Correct." L agreed. "Mello will not listen either, so it is best to leave him alone about it." It was partially his fault for Mello's chocolate addiction. He had given it to the blond as a small child, against the caretakers' wishes. He remembered like it was yesterday.

_L! For pity's sake, we don't need another sugar addict roaming this house! Your diet is bad enough. Quit trying to corrupt Mello too!_

But it was spoken teasingly, and while they complained about his diet to no end, they had always allowed him to eat what he chose. They didn't try to make him change. But he had been sneaking Mello chocolate for ages, until the boy was old enough to get it for himself. L smiled. At least there were plenty of happy memories of Wammy's House to counteract the bad ones.

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About an hour later, Mello and Matt returned downstairs. They were heard before they were seen, as they appeared to be belting a song out at the top of their lungs. L supposed it was the result of too much Guitar Hero. In any case the incoming noise alerted all three of the room's occupants to the gamers' immanent arrival.

Mello and Matt burst in through the door at the top of the stairs, still singing loudly. Mello was doing the words at that moment, in a clear voice.

"So now we fly ever free… we're free before the thunderstorm… On towards the wilderness our quest carries on…"

Matt took over the vocals then, in a pure baritone voice, "Far beyond the sundown, far beyond the moon-light… Deep inside our hearts and all our souls…"

They began to circle each other, singing together by that point, completely oblivious to anyone else in the room. L and Near watched in interest, having gotten used to random displays like this. Light watched in amazement, half-expecting music to explode out of the background and Mello and Matt to start to dance-fight or something.

"So far away, we wait for the day… For the light source so wasted and gone… We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days… Through the fire and the flames we carry on!"

One could almost imagine Wammy's House burning in the background, the two of them promising that they could make it through whatever Kira threw at them. They dissolved into laughter, then seemed to realize that they had an audience. Matt rubbed his head in embarrassment, saying quickly, "Sorry, we didn't mean to bother anyone…"

L grinned outright. "That's fine. It was very entertaining."

Matt looked mortally embarrassed, but Mello appeared unperturbed. He went off to the kitchen in search of chocolate, leaving Matt to attempt to distract himself with his PSP.

L glanced at Near questioningly. The younger boy nodded his head, having gotten the same message as L, and went back to his Rubik's Cube. He spun the last side into place with a click, and set the finished cube on the desk. L closed his laptop, sitting back to think. Matt's idea had been brilliant. And if he had understood correctly, everything was ready. All that was left was to put their not-plan into action.

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_So now we fly ever free, we're free before the thunderstorm. On towards the wilderness our quest carries on…  
_**We're home free. Everything's ready for the coming climax. We're diving into the unknown, but we'll keep going anyway.  
**_Far beyond the sundown, far beyond the moon-light… Deep inside our hearts and all our souls…  
_**After today, beyond Light Yagami's view, we'll move. In our heats and souls we believe this will work.  
**_So far away, we wait for the day, for the light source so wasted and gone.  
_**We will wait for tomorrow, when Light's power over us will begin to waste away…  
**_We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days…  
_**It hurts what he has done to us…  
**_Through the fire and the flames we carry on!  
_…**but justice will prevail.**

DNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

So, the singing did have a purpose. That was "Through the Fire and Flames" by Dragonforce, because I love the song, even if it's murder on anything above easy mode. (frigging Guitar Hero, eating my life ) Now we've had L singing, and Mello and Matt singing. Sadly, Near doesn't sing. : ) But it was a musical code all along. I feel so proud of myself.

Care to guess what they're planning? I'm not telling!

Misa's English voice is really annoying. Gah. The only thing I like about her is that she exists to make Light's life more difficult. Yay.

Li


	17. Gambling With Fate

Chapter Seventeen: Gambling With Fate

"…_It's much more fun, I must confess, when lives are on the line. Not mine of course, but yours, my friend, now that will do just fine…"_

_Oogie Boogie – The Nightmare Before Christmas_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Silence.

Complete and utter silence.

No one had spoken all day in the headquarters building. It was Sunday, so the five geniuses were alone in the building, and none had uttered so much as a word. Light assumed it was some new form of ignoring him. But why should it matter to him if they refused to speak to him? He was practically God of the New World. Conversing with his enemies shouldn't matter to him.

At least there hadn't been any more singing. After the bizarre Guitar Hero incident yesterday, none of them had shown any inclination to burst into song. In fact, if Light hadn't witnessed both instances with his own eyes, he might not have believed that they had actually occurred. It had just seemed so sporadic, and so unlike them, that Light had to wonder if it was an act, or if this was their real selves showing through. Who _was_ Mihael Keehl, or Mail Jeevas, or Nate River? For the most part, he thought he understood Lawliet, but the others were a mystery. What was real, and what was the mask? Had everything they had done up to this point been a façade?

He gave up on that for a moment. As long as they didn't interfere, he couldn't care less what they did. Let them act like freaks if they wanted to. L and his trio of mini-Ls could do anything they chose, and as long as it wasn't threatening to Light's position, they would live to see the new world come into existence.

Today was going to be especially tedious even without them. Misa was coming, wanting to spend time with her somewhat-unwilling 'boyfriend'. She was also, more importantly, bringing Light the other Death Note. Mikami would keep his for now, but Light wanted to have the other one near, just in case. After all, the third was locked in a safe in the first basement, with a combination that only L knew. So the bouncy model was coming for a 'dinner date' as she put it, and he was going to have to sit through dinner and probably some insufferable, mushy romance movie before Misa would leave. She was by far the clingiest person Light had ever met, even surpassing some of his more stalker-ish fangirls in the past.

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The day passed in silence, as the four of them didn't even speak to _each other_. Evening rolled around far sooner than Light was ready for it, bringing an incredibly happy and bubbly Misa prancing through the door.

"Light!!!" she cried, throwing herself into his arms. L, the only other one left in the room by that point, slipped out, leaving Light alone to deal with the hyper blonde girl. Light sighed and faked a smile, leading Misa upstairs, out of the investigation area to the space where they all actually lived. He made sure to flick off the security cameras first. If the rest of the task force asked, he could say it was a temporary power outage. They would believe him. They would believe anything he said.

As they ate dinner, Light asked quietly, "Did you bring the Death Note?"

"Yes!" Misa pulled it half-way out of her bag to show that she had it, and Light nodded his approval.

"Good. Hold onto it for now, okay?" he said, smiling. Misa nodded, and Light asked, "Did you do the other thing I asked of you?"

Misa nodded, more serious this time. "I worked a piece of the Death Note into my bracelet. Even if the note is destroyed, I'll still have a piece, and will still be the owner, therefore my memories won't go away!"

"Very good, Misa." Light was glad that she actually had managed to carry out all of his instructions. He didn't think anything could actually happen to the Death Note, but it was still worth being careful.

"Can we go watch a movie?" Misa asked. Light internally winced, but why not? A reward, of sorts.

"Sure, Misa."

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As they walked into the 'living room', they found their resident weirdoes, at least according to Light's analysis. Matt was sprawled in a gigantic squashy armchair, playing his PSP with a demonic grin. No doubt he was slaying something large and ugly. Mello was flat on his back on the couch, eating chocolate. L was reading, curled in his customary position in another chair, and Near occupied the section of the rug in front of the fireplace, building an elaborate pyramid out of dominos. A cozy fire gave the room a feeling much like home, were it not for the air of ice that washed over the room the instant that Light entered. He ignored it, heading for the door on the opposite side that would lead back down to the investigation room, where the large TV that they generally used for news was.

Misa followed him eagerly, but paused to look at Mello. The blond was eating chocolate with his eyes shut, laid out flat on the couch. Misa watched him a moment, finally saying in an envious voice, "You're just like L! How do you eat so much of that stuff and not get horribly fat?"

Mello sat up. "Because I'm just amazing. More amazing than you." he said smugly.

Misa flushed angrily. "You're so rude!"

Near chose that moment to speak up, as Matt eagerly clicked at his PSP in the background.

"Perhaps Misa-san is jealous that Mello has a better figure than her." Near said blandly. Misa practically shook with rage, but Near continued, "Or perhaps she is jealous of his ability to eat whatever he wants and maintain that figure."

"You BRAT!" Misa shrieked. Her fingers flew to her bag, pulling out the Death Note. "Misa should kill you!"

"Misa!" Light snapped. He looked from the angry model to L, who was watching with glinting eyes.

Misa froze instantly at his voice. L smiled, a hungry smile that usually was reserved only for cake.

"Going to let her kill us, Light-kun?" he asked, a wry tone to his voice.

Light scowled. He reached over, taking the Death Note from Misa, and walked over to L. "You're plotting something, even if I don't know what it is. I think you need to be reminded who is in charge here." He walked to the coffee table, kneeling and opening the Death Note before pulling out a pen. L paled suddenly, realizing what he was going to do.

"It was a joke, Light-kun! You know Mello and Near, that's how they are!" L reached for Light's arm, but was harshly batted away. Light set pen to paper, beginning the first stroke of a letter. M or N, L couldn't tell, but it didn't matter to him. In a split-second, he had reacted without thinking.

He kicked Light, sending him flying across the room. He smashed into the opposite wall with a crash, and Misa screamed. L could only stare dumbly, shocked at what he had done. He had probably just put them all in even greater danger. He was proven right when Light lunged back, pulling the Death Note to him and setting the pen to it.

"That's IT, L! I tried to show you, tried to make you see that my way is truly justice, but you refuse to see!" L stood frozen as Light scrawled the first messy capital 'L' onto the sheet. But he got no farther, as Near jumped up onto the coffee table and stomped the full weight of his booted and cast foot onto Light's hand. Light recoiled with a howl, and Near fell backwards off the table, crawling back to his dominos and hugging his jarred leg to his chest. Mello, who until now hadn't moved except to watch, dove for the Death Note, snatching it from Light's fingers. When Light lunged at him, he tossed it to Matt. Misa went after Matt, who flicked it to L. L stood and stared at it a moment, but when Light shifted to try and grab it from him, he tossed it towards Near. Near made as if to reach for it, but then stopped, letting it sail over his head.

"Near!" Mello groaned, elbowing Misa. Both blonds started to move to retrieve it, but then stopped dead; Mello staring in astonishment, Misa in anguish. The notebook had sailed easily over Near's head…

…straight into the fireplace.

If looks could kill, Near would have been dead a hundred times over. Light was shooting him a glare filled with such venom, it could have floored the entire room. L only blinked, thumb to his lips, while Mello and Matt exchanged triumphant glances.

"Misa…" Light said quietly, his voice very carefully controlled.

"Yes?" she asked warily.

"Go. I… need to deal with them." Misa scurried out of the room, and L could hear her running down the hall and down the stairs. Light glanced into the fireplace, where the last remnants of the book were falling to ashes. He looked up at L, still appearing calm and collected.

"L."

"Hai, Light-kun?"

"Tomorrow, Mikami will bring me the other Death Note…" He looked up straight into L's eyes and smirked, a wicked, hate-filled expression. "…And I am going to kill you."

"Is that so, Light-kun?" L asked with that wide-eyed innocence Light hated so much. In the background, Matt picked his PSP back up, beginning to tap at the buttons again.

"Yes." Light replied venomously. "And your heirs as well." Near and Mello glanced at him, but his eyes remained on L alone.

L smiled faintly. "Well then, Light-kun. I'd like to see you try."

Matt shut off his PSP with a click.

DNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

One-half of a climax! Wahoo! Y'all are lucky I posted this tonight. I'm exhausted. I'm putting it up and going to bed.

And I have a pressing question. We are nearing the end, and I really have no idea what to do with _dearest_ (coughhackwheeze) Light-kun. He'll be punished regardless, but tell me... Live or die? Tell me in a review, and I'll see how it comes out, okay?

SEVENTY-FIVE REVIEWS!!! That's, like, twenty-fire away from a hundred! A hundred reviews would make me so happy... I think I would die of joy... (hintpokenudgewink)

Love, hugs, and plushies of Near, the hero of this chapter!  
Li


	18. Finale

Chapter Eighteen: Finale

L carefully carried Near back to the boys' room, making sure not to further jostle his leg. He set him down on his bed and sat beside him, probing the injury for further damage.

"You're lucky." he said quietly. "I do not think that your actions have caused any impediment to the healing process." He looked up, meeting Near's onyx eyes, and added, "That was incredibly brave. You saved my life, Near."

Near looked down at the dominos still clutched in his hand. He didn't normally act, preferring to sit and command rather than actually involve himself in a conflict. But Light had been going to kill his brother, and just like L, he had acted without thinking.

"You saved one of ours, kicking him like that. I just…" He trailed off, not finishing what he was trying to say, but L understood, as always. "I guess learning to walk better in this thing paid off." Mello and Matt trailed in behind them, sitting down on the carpet at the foot of the bed.

L looked over at them. "I'm so proud of all of you. You didn't panic. You kept calm the entire time."

Mello scowled. "What good does it do, though?" he demanded angrily, picking bits of fuzz from the carpet. "Mikami's coming with the other notebook tomorrow, and we're all going to die anyway!" L sensed, rather than actually saw, the small shiver that passed through Near and Matt. He noticed Mello's eyes, though, and the emotion they held, and was saddened. They were afraid, all three of them, no matter how hard they tried to hide it. Even Matt, when he of all of them should know that there's nothing to fear.

L reached out, pulling Near into a one-armed hug, and holding out his other arm to Mello and Matt. They climbed up next to him, accepting the embrace, and L smiled.

"We will not die." he said with certainty. They blinked up at him, and L added, "Will we, Matt?"

Matt looked worried. "Will it work, L?" Never had the techie doubted his skills more than in that moment.

L smiled at him. "I have complete faith in you. It is irrefutable evidence." Looking at his heirs seriously, he said softly, "Do you understand? Because we did not plan together, he was unable to believe that we could coordinate a viable strategy. But when people can read each other as well as you three can, and as well as I can read you, there is no need to communicate the plan. It simply is understood."

They nodded, hoping to whatever higher power was out there that this would work. Because if it didn't, they were all going to be very dead before the next nightfall.

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Light fumed most of the next morning. It took his best acting skills to disguise it from the task forces. The older detectives worked as usual, completely oblivious to the events that had occurred in the building while they were home for the weekend. Light's father kept trying to convince him to take a break, but he refused. The only thing he told them was that he had a friend coming by from college to bring him notes for one of his classes. He'd meet them in the lobby, and come straight back up.

Mikami arrived sometime that afternoon, dressed in typically neat lawyer fashion. He waited just outside the front doors, calm and unhurried.

"He looks very professional." Chief Yagami commented. He was proud that his son had such good friends, who appeared to have good values and morals.

"He's in training to be a lawyer." Light replied. "He's currently studying for the bar exam." Chief Yagami beamed, and Light excused himself to go retrieve his 'school stuff'. L watched him go, waiting until he saw Light walking away on the cameras.

"Everyone." he said softly. They all turned to look at him, puzzled. L smiled sadly, continuing, "I need you to listen to me for a moment, and keep an open mind…"

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Light mused to himself as he strolled through the halls leisurely to retrieve the other Death Note. He had to be careful how he did this, but L would die when the notebook was in his hands. If he played it right, he could go upstairs, write down their names to die at varying times, specify them not to say anything of his guilt, and get away clean. The task force would never suspect a thing.

Mikami smiled as Light came down and let him into the lobby of the building.

"Kami." he acknowledged. He held out a small backpack, exactly as Light had specified. Light took it, rifling through the contents. Fake notes from several different classes filled the backpack, including a large envelope that contained the ebony-colored notebook. Light smiled.

"Thank you, Mikami." he said. Mikami seemed in awe, as it was the first time he had ever seen Light in person.

"My pleasure, Kami…" he said reverently. Light nodded, and turned to go back into the building.

He had won! This was it! L and his heirs would die, and there would be no one left to oppose him. Rem, Watari, Ryuzaki, Mello, Matt, Near… The biggest threats to his utopia, gone! He exalted quietly to himself as he strolled back up the stairs. Opening the door of the investigation room, he prepared to tell the others that he was going to go put the stuff in his room. But the words died in his throat as the door slipped open.

Eight stony faces stared back at him. Ryuzaki stood at the front; Mello, Near, and Matt behind him. The rest of the task force stood behind them, various looks on their faces ranging from disbelief on Matsuda's to anger on Chief Yagami's. Light blinked, immediately assuming the worst.

_I can't believe it! He really…Doesn't he realize what I'll do? They're all dead now, and it's entirely his fault._

He cleared his throat, thinking that maybe he could bluff his way upstairs. "Ryuzaki, what's going on?"

"There is no point in pretending anymore, Light-kun." L said softly.

Light faked concern. "Pretending what?" he asked. "Ryu, let me go put my stuff away, and then you can explain what…"

"I said, the charades can stop." L interrupted firmly. "I have told them everything that has gone on between us since the destruction of Wammy's. They know everything, now."

Light looked at the task force, seeing the truth of what L had said reflected in their eyes. He frowned. "Oh, come on. You're going to listen to him? He's insisted that I'm Kira since he met me! He's just trying desperately not to be wrong!" he turned, appealing to his father. "Father, are you really going to believe him over me?!"

Chief Yagami started to speak, but L interrupted yet again.

"I would request that you watch this video, Light-kun." L said, smiling politely. He turned on a security tape on the main screen, and Light paled. It was the tape from the day before, beginning with him and Misa walking across the living room.

_But I…I turned off the…!_

He watched Misa shriek at Mello, watched L kick him across the room, and watched the loss of the notebook into the fireplace. He turned back to look at the task force, white as a ghost. L had swiped the backpack while he had been distracted, and rifled through it eagerly until he pulled out the Death Note.

"The final notebook not in our possession." His eyes gleamed triumphantly.

Light could only stare at the detective holding _his_ notebook, saying dumbly, "_How?_"

L grinned cheerfully. "Matt?"

Light's wide eyes shifted to the redhead, who smiled with the gamer-like air of one who knew that they'd just saved the _whole damn world_, and he suddenly started to put it together. The computer bank… That day…

Matt held up his PSP. "I didn't lie when I said I wanted wireless for my games. But it also allowed me to hack the system through my PSP. L gave me the codes I'd need, and it was child's play to hijack the security cameras from there. I turned them on just after Misa paused to talk to Mello, because I knew it was the opportunity we'd been waiting for."

Mello grinned, chipping in with, "Near and I knew we could provoke her into losing her cool." Near only smiled, careful at the weight he put on his leg. It still hurt from the force exerted on it the day before. Mello astonished them all by throwing an arm around Near's shoulders to help support him, too exalted by victory to care that it was _Near_, his only real rival.

"There is no doubt remaining. This is undeniable proof." L said softly, his wide, outer-space eyes on Light. "Yagami-san, you will need to arrest Misa Amane, Teru Mikami, and Kiyomi Takada as accomplices to this, but for now…" He closed his eyes for a moment, but then said resolutely, "Arrest him."

DNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

Happy, everyone? Light gets his, finally! Now don't get the wrong idea; there will still be one more chapter and an epilogue. Ryuk's still out there, remember?

In terms of Light's fate, there are currently two votes to allow him to live, one undecided, and one vote to put a shock collar on him and electrocute him for fun. (O.o) And here I thought all of the L-fans would come out with their torches and pitchforks and demand his downfall. I'm still taking votes, and just to warn you, I will probably skip a day updating to count votes and get the chapter written. So please, tell me if he deserves death or not!

I'm currently seventeen reviews from my ultimate goal! Yay!  
Li


	19. Persistance of Memory

Chapter Nineteen: Persistance of Memory

Light had been locked in one of the cells in the basement of the building, where he had been confined previously. The difference was, his previous confinement was voluntary, and now it was because they _knew_.

Misa, Takada, and Mikami were locked up as well. Misa had screamed and protested and denied everything; but, like Light, she immediately quieted when shown the tape. Mikami and Takada seemed to realize it was useless to fight, and had surrendered with much less theatrics. Now, all four of the remaining Kiras were imprisoned, leaving L to decide what to do with them.

Logic dictated that the original Kira, at least, deserved the Death Penalty. L knew that, better than anyone. He had served justice long enough to understand what Interpol would demand of him. Death for Kira, and life imprisonment for the others. But that wasn't what _L_ wanted. L knew that if the Death Note was burned, they would all lose their memories of everything that had happened. The Light Yagami who did not remember Kira had been his friend… His only friend…

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L found himself on the roof yet again, contemplating his options from the aerial platform. Interpol would never understand his reasoning if he told them he wanted Light alive. How could he explain it in such a way that they didn't object to his 'punishment'? He knew what he wanted, but could he put his own want before the want of the entire world?

He was drawn from his thoughts by Mello climbing up to sit beside him. It was windy up on the platform, and Mello shifted to find a position where his hair wouldn't blow in his face. He finally looked directly at L, and if you knew what to look for like L did, you could see concern in his bright blue eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked. As if he didn't already know. They all knew, but it was an unspoken rule not to talk about it unless L wished.

L sighed. "I do not know what to do with Light-kun." he muttered. "I… do not want to see him killed…"

"I know." Mello said. "If Near went homicidal tomorrow and massacred half the building, I wouldn't want him executed either. He's my rival, but…" He seemed to realize what he was saying and stopped, looking back out over the city.

L didn't press for the rest, instead nodding. "Yes… If any of you were to do anything, I would never be able to order something like that, even if I am justice." He sighed again, resting his chin on his knees. "It is a choice between what I want, and what is right for the world; a purely selfish decision to make." Mello watched him curiously, waiting to see where the train of thought was going. L closed his eyes. "Interpol will want what is right for the world."

"No!" Mello cried. The blond boy jumped to his feet, leaving a startled L to blink up at him. Mello glared at him with such ferocity, L thought the boy might hit him. "No, L! Who gives a _damn_ what Interpol wants? What do _you_ want?"

"Mello…" L began, unsure if he was planning to tell him off for language, or tell him something else. But Mello interrupted him, one of the few who could do so without consequence.

"Really, L…" Mello was suddenly more serious than L had ever seen him. "You've spent your entire life working _for_ the world, and what the hell has the world ever given back to you? They don't even know you exist! I've seen how Interpol treats you, when Watari would let me listen in on conferences. They act like this is your damn job, and it's all you do. They don't treat you like a person! So why should you care about what they want? Do something for yourself; be fucking selfish for a change!"

L stared at him, stunned to silence. Maybe it was the cursing, maybe it was the meaning behind the words. But for a split second, L had a moment of shining clarity. Really, who gave a damn what Interpol thought? They couldn't go against him. He was _L_.

He stood quickly, reaching out and pulling Mello into a hug. Mello was surprised for a moment before hugging back. L stood back, keeping his hands on Mello's shoulders. "Thank you, Mello." He paused for a moment, then amended, "No… Thank you, Mihael. Thank you."

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Light stared at the ceiling. He wasn't restrained, since now they knew about the Death Note, and knew that without it, he was powerless. Regardless, there was little he could do besides lie flat on his back on the cot and analyze the concrete above him. He was bored out of his mind, wondering when L would finally decide what to do with him.

He sat up with a start when Ryuk floated through the ceiling, grinning like a demented jester.

"Hiya, Light." he said, cackling to himself.

Light stared at him in amazement. "Ryuk? What are you…?"

"I was following Mikami." Ryuk explained. "But I came especially to see you! Isn't that wonderful?"

Light blinked, perturbed by Ryuk's sudden appearance. The Shinigami usually refused to help him, so there was another reason for his presence now. "Why are you here, Ryuk?"

Ryuk laughed. "Ever-calculating, huh, Light? Remember what I promised you when you decided to use the Death Note?" Light racked his brains, recalling what the Death God had said that day, and paled. Ryuk chuckled at his expression. "I promised you that when you die, I'd be the one to write your name down. I'd be stuck here for a while if L throws you in prison, and I'd rather not sit around and wait for you to die."

"Wait!" Light cried, suddenly panicked. "No! Let me talk to L; we can give the notebook back! Don't…!"

Ryuk only grinned. "And I wouldn't pass up the chance to extend my lifespan, either…" His Death Note appeared in his hand, and Light flinched.

"Ryuk, no!"

"Shinigami-san, I would appreciate you not doing that."

Both looked up at the calm voice. L stood at the door, key in hand, his other hand tucked away into his pocket. Light's eyes widened. "Ryuzaki!"

Ryuk cackled, asking, "And why not?"

"We will return your notebook to you. I'll force him to give up ownership, and you may return to the Shinigami Realm." L said firmly. "Do not kill him."

"Interesting…" Ryuk said, reading L's intent in his eyes. "Okay, then, Lawliet. We'll see where that goes."

L flinched at the use of his real name, but said nothing about it. He only asked quietly, "I would like to speak to Light-kun alone, please." Ryuk laughed, floating up through the ceiling and disappearing.

L walked over, sitting on the end of Light's cot. He didn't look at Light for a long moment, waiting for the younger boy to speak first. Light finally broke the silence, asking, "So did you really want to save me, or did you just want to have me executed yourself?"

L shut his eyes. "I have a proposal for Light-kun, if he is willing to listen."

"He is." Light replied.

"I… confess to not wanting Light-kun to die." L said. "You are my only friend… or were. My proposal is this: You will give up ownership of the notebook and return it to Ryuk. The other Kiras will be informed of their actions and be given proper trial before Interpol. You, however…" He paused, taking a split-second to wonder if he was doing the right thing, before finishing, "You will come with me, to be under my permanent supervision. You will assist me with any cases I take on, and Interpol will be told that your punishment is in my hands. They cannot go against me."

Light was staring at him in disbelief. "You would… That's not even a proper punishment!"

"Would you prefer the Death Penalty? That is what Interpol would give you." L said wryly, a small smile appearing on his face. Light shook his head.

"No." he admitted. "Are there specifics to this deal? What about my family?"

"You will be permitted to see your family twice a year; once on Christmas and another on a day of your choosing. If you wish to keep it secret from your mother and sister what you have done, I will simply tell your father the specifics of our agreement, and get him to inform them that you have agreed to work with me permanently." L explained. "I am sure Yagami-san will agree. I believe that he as well would not want you dead."

Light sighed, like there had been a weight lifted from his shoulders. "Yes, L. What do I need to do?"

"Give up the notebook."

Light looked up at the ceiling. "Ryuk!" When the Shinigami drifted into view, Light said calmly, "Take your notebook back. I don't want it. Please."

Ryuk cackled, sailing away to take back the book. Light's eyes blanked for a moment, and then cleared, appearing almost innocent, if L didn't know better. He met the obsidian eyes of the World's Greatest Detective, and asked in a much different voice, "L? Was… was I Kira?"

He certainly knew how to get right to the point. L found himself smiling. Light's father would certainly agree with this plan. Everything was going right. "Yes, Light-kun. You were, but not anymore."

"Ryuzaki, what did you do?" Light asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

L thought a moment, and looked Light right in the eyes. "I was offered a choice, between what Interpol would want, and what I wanted. And I chose what I wanted. In Mello's words…

"I was 'fucking selfish'."

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So I lied. I did update tonight.

Mello finally gets the nerve to curse in front of L, resulting in several bad words. I claim no responsibilty for anyone scarred for life. :) Anyway, back on topic... The "live" votes _greatly_ outnumbered the "die" votes, which surprised me. But I find that I agree. After everything I made him do, I couldn't kill him. I just couldn't.

You all are wonderful. The reviews really help me, truly they do. I love to hear from all of you, even if it is to call me evil. : ) Thank you so much. Matt plushies for all!

All that's left is the epilogue! I can't believe I'm nearly done! (cries) I'll see you all tomorrow, for one last update!

Love, hugs, Matt plushies and free (imaginary) PSPs to all!  
Li


	20. Redemption

Final Chapter: Redemption

One year and one month later…

L sat contentedly on one of the couches in the common room, smiling at the cheerful decorations. Despite the orphanage being burned to the ground and rebuilt, they had nonetheless been able to obtain twice as many Christmas decorations as any normal home would ever need. Three Christmas trees stood proudly in the common room, decorated with ornaments, lights, and tinsel. But the children had helped too. Linda, particularly artistic as she was, had led a team in making paper snowflakes, which now hung suspended in every window.

It was fairly late at night, about ten or so, and L shifted slightly, careful not to wake Mello. The blond-headed boy had been reading, and had finally dropped off to sleep against L's shoulder. Linda walked by the doorway, dressed in pajamas, and waved.

"Goodnight, L." she said. He smiled and waved as well, before she hurried off to her own room. L settled back against the couch, only to look up again a moment later as a tremendous thump disturbed the room's quiet. Light stood there, staring down at the box he had just accidentally dropped, a frown on his face.

"Good god, what's in here?" he demanded. "It weighs a ton!"

"Gifts." L said simply. "We wait until all the children are in bed to put them under the trees." He pointed to the four large, identical boxes stacked in the corner. "There are three more upstairs." Light grumbled, pushing his box over to the corner and going to get the other three. L shook Mello gently. "Mello. Mello, it's time to go to bed, or you don't get any presents." Mello responded with a sleepy 'No! My presents!', before getting up and heading for the door.

"G'night, L." he mumbled, heading upstairs in the direction Light had gone. L smiled, moving to the boxes already stacked and beginning to pile presents under the trees.

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After Light returned with the other boxes, he and L finished arranging gifts. Afterwards, they ended up on the couch; L clutching hot chocolate with extra sugar and Light with black coffee.

"Remember, Light-kun, we will be boarding a private jet tomorrow morning at exactly eleven o'clock to go visit your family." L reminded him. "It will be directly after morning festivities here are complete."

Light blinked. "I had completely forgotten. With how hard you've been working me, it completely slipped my mind. I don't even have gifts for them!"

"Having you there will be gift enough." L said. "And I hardly consider decorating as 'work', Light-kun. It is not my fault that there have been no interesting cases this year. Most criminals are apparently still fearful that Kira is merely lying in wait."

Light frowned. He still couldn't really remember his time as Kira. But L had explained everything to him, and at least he knew _why_ he couldn't remember. L had shown him that final tape, and it had sealed everything. It was him, even if he didn't have any recollection of it. But he considered himself lucky. Misa, Takada, and Mikami were in prison for life, solitary confinement. He got to be here, with L, celebrating Christmas with the opportunity to see his family.

L was trying to analyze his expression, as usual.

"Does Light-kun regret making a deal with me?" he asked, his usual absurd innocence shining in his eyes. Light couldn't help but think that L was a hundred times happier at Christmas.

"No." he replied. "I'm grateful. Why? Do _you_ regret saving _me_?"

"Light-kun is the only friend I have ever had. I was not going to commit my only friend to execution. I feel this is a better solution, especially since I no longer have Watari to help me. You've been very helpful, Light-kun. I… could never regret saving your life. After all… Justice, without mercy, is never truly justice. That is what Kira failed to understand."

It always made Light feel better when L referred to Kira as a separate person. He truly regretted what he had done. Setting down his empty coffee mug, he stood, nodding to L. "I'm going to get some sleep, if I'm going to be dragged out of bed tomorrow morning like I was last year." Light considered L to be the equivalent of a hyper five-year-old when it came to Christmas morning. "Goodnight, Ryuzaki."

"Goodnight, Light-kun." L watched him leave, smiling to himself. In the year that he had been with the boy, technically a young man now at nineteen, he had really grown to trust him. He was completely honest when he called Light his friend. There were no more secrets; now that Light knew his name and his home and his family, what more was there to hide? He had grown on Mello, Matt, and Near as well. He and Matt played video games together, Mello argued with him almost as much as he did with Near, and Near actually spoke more than five words to him at one time, unlike he did to everyone but L.

Interpol had called him multiple times in the weeks following Kira's downfall. They had at first demanded the right to a trial, which L had denied. He was going to handle Kira's 'punishment' himself. After that, they had moved on to at least demanding Kira's identity, which L had also denied. The world, and especially Light's family, did not need to know what he had done. All they needed to know was that Kira was gone. For good.

L smiled to himself. He was certain now, seeing Light's actions over the past year, that he had made the right decision. Apparently it was worth it to be selfish sometimes. He had never truly done much for himself, but his best friend was something he could not give up. The world was not enough to justify that. Everyone deserved a chance at redemption, even Kira. L stood, taking one last look at the Christmas trees twinkling merrily in their stands, before slipping upstairs to go to bed. Tomorrow would be a long day, after all.

"Happy Christmas, Light-kun…."

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And they all lived happily ever after, the end. I couldn't resist a chapter 108, one-year-later type thing. Hope the Christmas thing wasn't too sappy an ending, but I wanted to write Christmas at the rebuilt Wammy's House in England. : ) And I like 'Good Light'. Really I do. He hates Kira so much in the book when he doesn't have his memories… The only thing that bugged me was that when he remembered, there was no mental struggle. He didn't freak out remembering the horrible things he'd done. He was immediately Kira again. I feel like a Light that _knew_, but didn't _remember_ would be regretful of his actions.

OVER 100 REVIEWS!!! (crysobsniffle) I've never gotten over fifty before! (wailsobwhimpercry) I LOVE YOU GUYS SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!!! (dies of JOY overload)

It's over… I really can't believe I finished. If you had told me when I started that I would get a hundred reviews, I would have laughed in your face, really. I'm kinda sad to end, but…

I guess I'll see you all next story.  
Love, hugs, and cake for everyone!  
Li


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